The National Executive Council (NEC) of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has unanimously approved Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh as the running mate to Dr Mahamudu Bawumia for the 2024 general elections.

The party highlighted that Dr Opoku Prempeh meets all the criteria for the running mate position, which led to his unanimous approval.

Below is his full profile

Early life and education

Matthew Opoku Prempeh was born on May 23, 1968, in Ashanti New Town, a suburb of Kumasi, and hails from Pakyi No. 2 in the Ashanti Region. 

He began his basic education at KNUST Primary School and continued to Prempeh College for his middle school education, both in Kumasi. 

He studied Human Biology and Medicine at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), completing his MB CHB in 1994. 

He pursued post-graduate studies in MSc. Clinical Epidemiology at the Netherlands Institute of Health Sciences in 1998 and received further postgraduate training in surgery in the UK.

Career and political life

Before entering Parliament in 2008, after winning the Manhyia South seat, Dr. Opoku Prempeh served as the chief executive officer of Keyedmap Security Services Limited from 2004 to 2009. 

He was a member of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of the United Kingdom from 1999 to 2003. 

Elected to Parliament in 2008 on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party, he was re-elected with 35,958 votes (87.17%) in the 2016 parliamentary elections and won overwhelmingly again in 2020. 

Before his appointment as Minister for Education in 2017, he was a member of the Defence and Interior Committee and the Appointments Committee. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo appointed him as Minister for Education on January 10, 2017. 

During his tenure, the NPP’s flagship Free SHS programme was implemented. He served as Education Minister until January 6, 2021, when his term ended. He was appointed Minister for Energy in 2021 after the NPP retained power in the 2020 elections.

Becoming NPP’s running mate

Matthew Opoku Prempeh became one of the front-runners for the NPP’s running mate, with the party’s flagbearer, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, engaging President Akufo-Addo on June 25, 2024, at the Jubilee House.

His name was submitted for consideration during this meeting and was approved by the President.

The final decision was taken by the party’s national council at the Alisa Hotel on Thursday, July 4.