Claim: Social media users have shared a video of Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh (NAPO), the running mate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), urging voters to support John Mahama. However, in another video of him from the same event, NAPO is heard calling for support for Dr Mahamudu Bawumia instead.
Verdict: True. The claim that Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh (NAPO) urged voters to support “John Mahama” in a viral video is accurate. While Dr Opoku Prempeh did initially mention “Mahama” by mistake, a review of the original JoyNews video confirms that this was a slip of the tongue. He quickly corrected himself, clarifying that he meant “Mahamudu Bawumia.” However, the second video, which claims to show NAPO saying “Bawumia nie” without the prior error, has been manipulated.
Full Text
Two videos about the running mate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, known as NAPO, are circulating on social media. One video shows him urging voters to support Mahama, while the other depicts him calling on voters to support Bawumia.
A similar situation occurred during the lead-up to the 2020 elections, when President Akufo-Addo mistakenly mentioned Okoe Vanderpuije of the NDC instead of Okoe Bannerman of the NPP.
The video of Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh (NAPO) urging voters to support “Mahama” has been widely circulated by members of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), including their National Communications Officer, Sammy Gyamfi, who shared it on his X account. While this could pose a significant challenge to the NPP, another video version, in which NAPO mentions “Bawumia,” has also gained attention.
So, which version is authentic? DUBAWA analysed both videos.
Verification
The 12-second clip shows NAPO mentioning “Mahama,” and the 9-second clip shows him mentioning “Bawumia.” To verify their authenticity, DUBAWA transcribed both videos to make a detailed comparison.
First Video: “When you are going to vote, ‘John Mahama nie,’ ‘Lomotey nie.’ ‘Mahama nie.’”
Second Video: “When you are going to vote, ‘Bawumia nie,’ ‘Lomotey nie.’”
Did Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh Say ‘John Mahama’ or ‘Bawumia’?
DUBAWA’s findings confirm that Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh initially mentioned “Mahama” by mistake, not “Bawumia.”
A detailed assessment of the original video, published by JoyNews on YouTube, compared with the viral clip claiming he said “Bawumia nie,” reveals clear discrepancies. The portion where “Bawumia nie” appears in the viral video was spliced into the segment where Dr. Opoku Prempeh mistakenly said “Mahama.” This manipulation and a cutaway shot created a false impression of continuity.
The extended video from JoyNews provides clarity. It shows that Dr Opoku Prempeh did say “Mahama” twice. Recognising his error, he corrected himself and mentioned “Bawumia.” Later, he explicitly clarified that he meant “Mahamudu Bawumia” and not just “Mahama.” This can be found from “00:58″ onwards in the video.
Body language in the original clip also supports the claim of an unintended error, as it visibly reflects his realisation of the mistake.
DUBAWA spoke to the Social Media Manager of the Joy News cluster, Kweku Kyei, who confirmed that a reporter was present at the event and captured the video of NAPO saying “Mahama nie.”
Conclusion
The analysis reveals that the video showing Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh (NAPO) urging voters to support “John Mahama” is authentic but reflects a genuine slip of the tongue.
He quickly corrected himself and clarified his intended message, emphasising support for Dr Mahamudu Bawumia. The second video, which claims he consistently said “Bawumia nie” without error, is manipulated.