A leading member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Arthur Kennedy, has stated that the selection of the Minister for Energy, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh (NAPO), will have no impact on the party's fortunes in the upcoming 2024 election.

According to him, the running mate position, as indicated by many studies, is not crucial in voters' decisions on whom to vote for during a presidential election.

Dr. Kennedy made these remarks in an interview on GHOne TV on July 5, 2024.

He believes that Ghanaians will ultimately decide whom to vote for after evaluating the flagbearer of the party, Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, and whether they desire a continuation of the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo government, which many view as having performed poorly.

"I congratulate Dr. Opoku Prempeh on his selection as running mate. Ultimately, it will come down to the candidate himself, and perhaps, in the case of the NPP, to the president, who is not on the ballot. Research has consistently shown that in such elections, the most critical question is, 'Would you vote for the outgoing president if he were still on the ballot?' If most people would vote for the president, they will vote for the nominee of his party.

"So, in a sense, that matters more than the choice of running mate. Nevertheless, I congratulate Dr. Opoku Prempeh for being chosen as the running mate," he said.

He added, "My view is that a running mate is not as significant in influencing people's voting decisions. As I mentioned, I think the president, who is not on the ballot, holds more weight than the running mate or even the candidate in this situation."

The NPP leading member also mentioned that although the 2024 poll is still far off, the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress is currently in a strong position to win the election.

He noted that Ghanaians, in general, are dissatisfied with the Akufo-Addo government due to the hardships in the country and may not vote for Vice President Dr. Bawumia as it represents continuity.

He also emphasized that the leader of the Movement for Change, Alan Kyerematen, will play a crucial role in determining Ghana's next leader.

"I believe that this election is John Mahama's to lose and Alan's to change," Dr. Arthur Kennedy stated.

"Considering everything and taking into account the global shift, Ghana's tendency to change parties every eight years, and Nana Addo's poor track record; it indicates that, historically, the NDC appears to be slightly favored.

"However, Alan is the wildcard. He has been somewhat complacent, but he is the individual who can shake up this race and potentially force it into a second round. That being said, there is still a lot of campaigning to be done, so we should all brace ourselves for an interesting ride," he explained.

BAI/OGB

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