After months of waiting, it has officially been confirmed that the flagbearer of the incumbent New Patriotic Party (NPP), Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has consulted President Akufo-Addo on his choice of a running mate for the December 7 presidential election and it is Matthew Opoku Prempeh otherwise known as NAPO.

According to JoyNews’ Presidential Affairs correspondent Elton Brobbey, a meeting took place last night at the Jubilee House.

During the meeting, Vice President Dr Bawumia presented his choice to the President. Elton Brobbey clarified that President Akufo-Addo offered some advice and shared his thoughts but eventually accepted Dr Bawumia’s choice.

He said the chosen candidate is a 56-year-old medical doctor who graduated from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. He was first elected to Parliament in 2008 and won re-election in 2012, 2016 and 2020. He served on the Health Appointment and Defence and Interior Committees of Parliament.

“In 2017, President Akufo-Addo appointed him Education Minister and he now serves as the Energy Minister. The name is Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh also known as NAPO,” he said.

The JoyNews Presidential correspondent said that it is unclear whether the Vice President’s choice of Dr. Opoku Prempeh as his running mate was influenced by the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) survey.

However, he noted that the Energy Minister appears to be the preferred choice of the party’s grassroots.