Earlier today, I shared a post on Facebook urging the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, to appoint his running mate early, in the same strategic spirit with which the party elected him as flagbearer.

That call was neither casual nor emotional; it was rooted in political foresight, party unity, and electoral strategy.

The decision by the NPP to re-elect Dr. Bawumia as flagbearer through an early and competitive presidential primary sent a powerful and reassuring message to the Ghanaians that, the party values consistency, preparation, internal cohesion and political coherence as we rebuild toward the 2028 general elections.

That same logic must now guide the next critical decision; the selection of a running mate.

In my view, and with firm conviction, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh (NAPO) should be retained as Dr. Bawumia’s running mate, and this decision should be taken no later than the end of this year.

One of the strongest arguments that delivered Dr. Bawumia an emphatic mandate in the primaries was consistency. Party delegates chose continuity over uncertainty and experience over experimentation.

It would, therefore, be strategically incoherent for the party to abandon that principle when it comes to the vice-presidential slot.

Retaining NAPO preserves the Bawumia–Opoku Prempeh ticket, giving the NPP a stable and recognisable leadership pairing at a time when our main opponents, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), face internal questions about the future of their own presidential ticket ahead of 2028.

While the NDC grapples with succession and reconfiguration, the NPP can project readiness, unity, and clarity of purpose.

Some party members have indeed raised concerns about Dr. Opoku Prempeh’s previous public missteps as running mate during the last election campaign. These concerns are legitimate and deserve acknowledgement. However, politics is also about growth, learning, and adaptation.

A fair assessment shows that NAPO’s public engagements, messaging, discipline, and demeanour have improved significantly in recent times, particularly in the lead-up to and aftermath of the recent presidential primaries.

He has demonstrated greater restraint, focus, and alignment with the broader party message; qualities that matter in an opposition posture.

Perhaps one of NAPO’s most underappreciated political assets is his demonstrated loyalty. At various points ahead of the 2023 and 2026 presidential primaries, many within the party openly encouraged him to contest for the flagbearership; an encouragement driven by his popularity among party faithful and his Ashanti royal lineage.

Yet, he declined. Instead, he stood firmly behind Dr. Bawumia’s candidacy, not once, but consistently.

In a political environment often characterised by ambition and factionalism, such loyalty is rare and invaluable. It is the kind of loyalty that cements trust within a ticket and stabilises a campaign. It should not be taken for granted.

Beyond loyalty and consistency, Dr. Opoku Prempeh brings substantive governance experience. His background in health, combined with his tenure as Minister for Education and later Minister for Energy, equips him with a broad and practical understanding of social and economic policy implementation.

Paired with Dr. Bawumia, an accomplished economist, former Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana, and two-term Vice President, the NPP presents a ticket that blends economic intellect with sectoral execution experience.

Such a combination is rare in Ghana’s political history and positions the party as a credible government-in-waiting.

Finally, timing matters. An early announcement of the running mate would minimise internal lobbying, prevent avoidable factional tensions, and allow the party to focus squarely on rebuilding, policy articulation, and grassroots mobilisation. The same argument that justified the early election of the flagbearer applies fully to the running mate decision.

I therefore urge well-meaning members of the New Patriotic Party to rally behind the early re-nomination of Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh as running mate to Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.

Doing so before the end of the year will strengthen internal cohesion and give the party the strategic clarity it needs as it prepares to present a formidable, organised, and disciplined alternative to the Ghanaian electorate in 2028.

Consistency brought us this far. We must not abandon it now.