NAPO’s ‘Akufo-Addo better than Nkrumah’ remark sparks discussions

At his unveiling on Tuesday at the Jubilee Park in Kumasi, NPP vice presidential aspirant Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh made the comment in his speech that President Nana Akufo-Addo’s performance cannot be matched by any president, including the first president, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.

This has sparked intense public debate, with some criticising the NPP running mate for discrediting ‘Osagyefo’ and others defending him.

Dr. Opoku Prempeh, also referred to as NAPO, stated in Akan as follows: “Since independence from 1957 till today, we’ve not had any president that has helped Ghana like Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. I say from 1957 to now, if you take your Kwame Nkrumah, no one has become president who has protected Ghana and moved it forward like Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.”

He attributed his statement to the progress the country has witnessed under President Akufo Addo, citing the roll-out of the free senior high school policy, the establishment of health facilities, the construction of roads, and the introduction of a working national ID system, among others.

NAPO’s remark has since triggered debates on social media and, to an extent, re-ignited the decades-old friction between the UP tradition and the CPP.