Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, better known as NAPO, has criticized the tribal undertone in discussions about the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) loss in the recent election.
In an interview with Accra-based Channel One TV, NAPO reacted strongly to questions suggesting his underperformance in delivering Ashanti votes, which has been attributed to the party’s humiliating defeat.
“Did Bawumia, the Northerner, bring the Northern votes?” NAPO fired back, remarking that the question was triggering and unintelligent.
The 2024 NPP Vice Presidential Candidate stated that their loss is a shared responsibility, noting that voter turnout across the country contributed to the NPP’s decline.
“Never ask that question again because it might provoke someone to insult you. When I hear that comment, I am triggered to insult someone. No matter who you blame, the party has lost. Millions of Ghanaians didn’t vote and NPP lost millions of vote, did it all come from only Ashanti?” he retorted.
He pointed out that in the Ashanti Region which is a key NPP stronghold, voter turnout was 65%, among the highest in the country, and urged critics to avoid singling out any region.
“Tribes should not be an element in the debate at all. it’s a slippery slope we are setting up. Even Volta and Greater Accra saw shifts in votes. This is not about tribes; it’s about collective responsibility.”
Arguments prior to the elections suggested that NAPO’s presence on the ticket was intended to boost Ashanti votes, but he rubbished that assertion, clarifying that tribe was not a factor in his selection.
He remarked that competence was the basis of his selection, not ethnicity or his lineage in the Ashanti dynasty.
NAPO concluded by calling for unity within the party and an end to the blame game.