NAPO for 2028: Why the NPP must close ranks behind Bawumia’s running mate

The choice of a running mate is one of the most consequential decisions a political party makes ahead of a presidential election. It is a statement about the kind of leadership the party values, the strengths it seeks to combine and the political strategy it intends to pursue. For the New Patriotic Party (NPP), as it prepares for the 2028 election, the case for Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, popularly known as NAPO, deserves unequivocal support. Those who genuinely wish the NPP well must look beyond factional preferences, personal reservations and the perennial appetite for change, and rally behind a choice that offers experience, policy depth, political familiarity and an established working relationship with the flagbearer. The argument is not that NAPO is without flaws. No serious political assessment begins with such an assumption. Rather, it is that his strengths are substantial, relevant and deserving of recognition at a time when the NPP needs strategic clarity, organisational cohesion and a credible pathway back to government.