Only 48 hours after the Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, was elected as the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) for the 2024 election, names of candidates have emerged to partner with him to break the 8.
It was predicted that Bawumia would win by a larger margin, but as promised, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong gave him a “showdown”.
Kennedy Agyapong, MP for Assin Central, came in second place with 37.41%.
Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto came in third place with 0.76%, while Francis Addai Nimoh finished last with 0.41%.
Official results from the Electoral Commission (EC) show that Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia won the New Patriotic Party (NPP) primaries in 14 of the 16 regions.
Dr. Bawumia won all regions by a landslide, with the exception of the Volta and Central regions.
Some names have emerged in the public domain urging Dr. Bawumia to choose Kennedy Agyapong as his running mate in order to put the National Democratic Congress (NDC) on the defensive.
According to reports, Communication Minister Ursula Owusu-Ekuful and Chief of Staff Frema Osei Opare are competing to see who is best suited to partner Bawumia.
Ursula Owusu-Ekuful is reportedly working very hard against her male competitors for the coveted slot while at the same time eyeing Frema Opare who has shown a keen interest in the slot.
There were speculations about the Minister of Energy and Member of Parliament for Manhyia South, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh alleged intentions to serve as a running mate to Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.
Other names have also surfaced in the race. These include, among others, Apostle Professor Kwadwo Nimfour Opoku Onyinah, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, and Dr. Yaw Adutwum.
Dr. Yaw Adutwum
Dr. Yaw Adutwum, Minister of Education, has been mentioned as a possible running mate for Dr. Bawumia in 2024, but he has dismissed speculations about his purported ambitions for the vice-presidential position.
Dr. Adutwum stated that he has not taken any steps to position himself as a running mate following the congress.
He stated that competing for the position would be unnecessary and possibly harmful to the party’s internal processes.
Apostle Professor Kwadwo Nimfour Opoku Onyinah
He is a Ghanaian theologian, televangelist, and composer who served as the Church of Pentecost’s fifth chairman from 2008 to 2018.
In 1993, he established the Pentecost International Worship Centre as a ministry of The Church of Pentecost.
He earned a doctor of philosophy in theological studies from the University of Birmingham in 2002, as well as a master of theology in applied theology from Regents Theological College.
From 2011 to 2019, Onyinah was a member of Ghana’s National Peace Council and the president of the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council.
Even before the NPP held its presidential primaries on November 4, 2023, the Minister of Energy, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, urged Ghanaians to disregard rumors about his alleged intentions to serve as Dr. Bawumia’s running mate in the 2024 elections.
He is a Ghanaian physician.
He earned his MB CHB in 1994 after studying Human Biology and Medicine at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).
In 1998, he pursued postgraduate studies in MSc. Clinical Epidemiology at the Netherlands Institute of Health Sciences.
He was previously the Minister of Education.
Ursula Owusu-Ekuful
She is the Communications Minister and the Member of Parliament for Ablekuma West Constituency.
Owusu-Ekuful is a lawyer and advocate for women’s and children’s rights. She was the MD of WESTEL, the second National Telecoms Operator, and the Chairperson of the Social Development Committee.
Her professional affiliations include the Ghana Bar Association, the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), and the African Women Lawyers Association (AWLA).