Former NPP running mate Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh has called on Ghanaians to put aside partisan differences and acknowledge Dr Kwame Nkrumah’s significant contributions to Ghana and Africa. Dr Opoku Prempeh, popularly known as NAPO, made the call when he made a surprise appearance at the 2026 NkrumahFest at Nkroful in the Western Region on Saturday, September 19. The event commemorated what would have been Ghana’s first President’s 117th birthday.
His appearance comes against the backdrop of controversial comments he made about Dr Nkrumah during the 2024 election campaign. At an NPP event in Kumasi, where he was introduced as the party’s running mate, Dr Opoku Prempeh said no president since independence had done more for Ghana than then-President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
He further stated that “not even your Kwame Nkrumah” had advanced and protected the country in the same manner. He later apologised for the remarks, explaining that he had not intended to disrespect Dr Nkrumah or any former president. Speaking at Nkroful on Saturday, Dr Opoku Prempeh urged Ghanaians to adopt a broader national perspective in recognising Dr Nkrumah’s legacy, stressing that political differences should not diminish his contribution to Ghana and the African continent.
“Nkrumah’s vision was expansive, visionary and fiercely Pan-African. Therefore, celebrating him in this magnificent defensive manner in his home district is a duty incumbent upon all of us,” he said. He noted that commemorating Dr Nkrumah should also provide an opportunity for Ghanaians to reflect on the values of patriotism and national unity.
“Regardless, true patriotism demands that we rise above partisan narrowness to honour those who laid the bedrock upon which our present democracy and national identity rests,” he added. The former Manhyia South MP also called for renewed dedication to selfless service, patriotism, national unity and national development, saying these values were essential to preserving the ideals associated with Dr Nkrumah.
