Cape Coast South MP, George Kweku Ricketts-Hagan, has suggested that the decision by Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia to settle on Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, also known as Napo, as his running mate, must have been very challenging. 

He also supposed that Dr. Bawumia's hands might have been tied due to the New Patriotic Party's (NPP) strategic need to secure support from the Ashanti Region for the upcoming elections.

Mr Ricketts-Hagan acknowledged Napo's intellectual capabilities but noted that his conduct sometimes comes across as arrogant. 

He suggested that this perception could be problematic and urged Napo to be more mindful of his communication style and delivery to improve his public image.

The lawmaker said that Napo's assertiveness could be misunderstood as arrogance, which might not bode well for his political journey and emphasised the importance of refining his approach to communication for his own benefit and the overall success of the NPP campaign.

Despite his observations and advice, Ricketts-Hagan made it clear that he does not wish the NPP success in the 2024 elections. 

"I do agree that Dr Bawumia wouldn’t have ideally chosen Napo as his running mate. That is why I say, it must be a very painful one. I think the justification, for me, is not what Napo brings to the table in terms of his intellectual capacity and all that but where Napo comes from and that is the Ashanti Region. And for me that is what makes a painful choice for Dr Bawumia to choose a guy who will probably bring something to the table, but his hands were tied that Ashanti Region could become a problem for the NPP," he stated.