A Deputy General Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mustapha Gbande, has said Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh also known as NAPO, has been selected as the likely running mate of Dr Mahamudu Bawumia to achieve regional balance and not because he's competent.

The flagbearer of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has consulted President Akufo-Addo on his choice of a running mate for the December 7 presidential election.

According to JoyNews sources, a meeting took place on Tuesday night at the Jubilee House where the Vice President presented Dr Opoku Prempeh as his choice to the President.

Although President Akufo-Addo offered some advice and shared his thoughts, he eventually accepted Dr Bawumia's choice.

Speaking on the JoyNews AM show, Mr Gbande stated, “We in the NDC were not surprised because obviously for a politician there would be a calculation of regional representation, so we believe that the Napo choice represents more of a regional balance other than an issue of competence and credible track record. In fact, it is good that the NPP has chosen the Ashanti region.”

Mr Gbande pointed out that Dr Opoku Prempeh was in contention with Adutwum, the Minister of Education.

The NDC Deputy General Secretary noted that when considering Adutwum's relatively recent entry into the political arena compared to Napo, who has long-standing grassroots experience, it becomes evident that Dr Opoku Prempeh should have been prioritised over Adutwum.

However, Mr Gbande stressed that Dr Opoku Prempeh has not addressed any issues in the Ministry of Energy, highlighting that his appointment was not due to his competence.

“Obviously, he is coming from the Ashanti region, which is an NPP stronghold, but apart from that, it is not on the basis of merit in terms of track record, credibility, or performance,” he noted.