Former NPP Running Mate Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, popularly known as NAPO, has called on Ghanaians to rise above partisan politics and uphold the legacy of Ghana’s first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah.
Dr Opoku Prempeh made the call during a surprise appearance at the 2026 Nkrumahfest in Nkroful in the Western Region on Saturday, September 19, 2026.
The event was held to commemorate Dr Nkrumah’s 117th birthday.
His appearance came against the backdrop of controversy over comments he made about Dr Nkrumah during the 2024 election campaign.
At an NPP event in Kumasi where he was unveiled as the party’s running mate, NAPO said no president since independence had done more for Ghana than then-President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
He added that “not even your Kwame Nkrumah” had moved the country forward and protected it in the same way.
He later apologised, saying he did not intend to disrespect Dr Nkrumah or any former president.
Addressing the gathering on Saturday, NAPO said Dr Nkrumah’s contribution to Ghana and Africa should not be diminished by partisan political differences.
“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 urged Ghanaians to place national unity and patriotism above political divisions when reflecting on Dr Nkrumah’s contribution to the country.
“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 rest,” he added.
He also called for a renewed commitment to selfless service, patriotism, national unity, and national development as part of efforts to preserve Dr Nkrumah’s ideals.
