Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh,the running mate for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) commonly known as Napo, has ignited a heated online discussion after his recent visit to Yendi.
Ahead of the December 7 general election, politicians from all parties, including both presidential and parliamentary candidates, are intensifying their campaigns to secure votes, with NPP’s Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh (Napo) actively participating in this political effort.
During his recent visit to Yendi, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, also known as Napo, met with the Overlord of Dagbon and his people to engage them in support of the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) flagbearer, Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia. As part of his campaign efforts ahead of the December elections, Napo used the occasion to highlight the importance of backing Bawumia, emphasizing that he was not only a fellow Muslim but also a son of the Northern Region, which he argued made him the most suitable candidate for the people of Yendi and the Northern Ghana region.
Napo specifically pointed out that as Muslims, the people of Yendi had a religious obligation to support Bawumia, given that both he and the community shared a common faith and regional heritage. Napo further asserted that it would be “haram” (forbidden in Islam) for the Overlord of Dagbon to pray for the success of John Dramani Mahama, the leader of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), as he believed it conflicted with the interests of the Muslim community and the Northern region. He expanded this sentiment to the broader Muslim population, insisting that it would also be considered “haram” for Muslims in Yendi, and by extension all Muslims, to vote for Mahama in the upcoming election.
He went on to criticize the NDC and Mahama’s leadership, accusing them of using Muslims and Northerners as political tools during elections but failing to deliver tangible benefits or development for these communities once in power. Napo’s remarks were aimed at strengthening the NPP’s appeal to Northern voters, portraying Bawumia as someone who would genuinely work to uplift the region and its people. He argued that Muslims and Northerners should stand by their own and reject what he described as the NDC’s exploitation of their votes without any real commitment to their well-being.
In his speech, Napo made it clear that, in his view, supporting Mahama or the NDC would not only be a political misstep but a moral and religious one, reflecting his strong belief that the future of the Northern region and its people depended on electing a leader like Bawumia, who shared their values and vision for progress.
