Rodney Nkrumah Boateng, Press Secretary to Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh has refuted claims that the Energy Minister’s selection as running mate to Dr Mahamudu Bawumia was influenced by ethnic considerations.
Recent polls had hinted that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) was poised to choose a running mate from the Ashanti Region, its stronghold, fueling speculation that the selection of NAPO was a tactical decision to shore up votes in the region.
In an interview with Bernard Avle on the Point of View on Channel One TV, Rodney Nkrumah Boateng conceded that selecting a running mate from the Ashanti Region makes political sense for the NPP, hinting that NAPO’s impressive credentials and potential may have made him the standout candidate for the position.
“I wish I was a fly on the wall to know all of these matters, I do not know, it will make sense electorally to have someone from the party’s base to help galvanise the base, to help energise the base. But I do not think that it was the only factor that saw him [through].
“He’s not the only Ashanti politician, so there might have been something that the flagbearer saw in him, that made him want to choose him, and I wouldn’t put it down to ethnicity, and leave it just there, it has to be more than that,” he said.
Mr Nkrumah Boateng noted that Dr. Opoku Prempeh’s magnetic personality and charisma draw people to him, making him a natural leader who inspires others to pursue their aspirations and goals.
“I think it’s a bit unfair to box it all in and say that all this must have been because he wanted to become a President one day. There are certain traits that come to him naturally, I wouldn’t put too much emphasis on it,” he remarked.
source: city newsroom
