L-R: Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, Matthew Opoku Prempeh, Bryan Acheampong
The names of three leading members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) who are all cabinet ministers and sitting Members of Parliament, have surfaced as possible candidates for the role of vice-presidential running mate to the presidential candidate of the NPP, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia in⁷ the December 2024 general elections.
All three potential running mates bear the title Doctor (Dr). They are Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, Member of Parliament for Bosomtwe constituency in the Ashanti Region and Minister for Education, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh (Napo), Member of Parliament for Manhyia South constituency also in the Ashanti Region and Minister for Energy and Dr Bryan Acheampong, Member of Parliament for Abetifi in the Eastern Region and Minister for Food and Agriculture.
The three possible NPP vice-presidential candidates are Christians and hail from the southern part of the country, and that would mean that the selection of any of the three will support the NPP tradition of having the Christian-Muslim balance with their presidential ticket in all 8 previous elections under the 4th Republic except 1996 when the NPP formed the “Great Alliance” with the Convention People’s Party, (CPP).
Traditionally, the NPP has always had a presidential ticket that has either of the two candidates (the presidential or vice-presidential) hailing from any of the five Northern Regions or the southern part of the country (mostly from the Akan regions, Ashanti, Eastern, among others).
With the NPP’s 2024 presidential candidate, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, hailing from the North East Region, any of the three candidates, if selected, would help the party to maintain the Christian/Muslim, North/South and Akan and non-Akan traditions the party has come to be identified with the last 32 years.
Of the three men, Dr Bryan Acheampong who was born 27 November 1972 is fifty-one (51) and is the youngest. Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh is 56 and Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum will on 9 April 2024, celebrate his 60th birthday.
Adutwum
Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum was born on 9 April 1964 and hails from Jachie in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. Yaw Osei Adutwum obtained a bachelor’s degree in Land Economy (Business Administration with a major in Real Estate) from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology before he migrated to the United States of America.
He also holds a master’s degree in Education Management from the University of La Verne and a Ph.D. in Educational Policy, Planning, and Administration from the University of Southern California.
He founded the New Designs Charter Schools but before he established that, he worked as a Mathematics and Information Technology teacher at the Manual Arts High School for ten years During this period, he founded the International Studies Academy which served as a small learning community for students to thrive academically and socially.
He also served as the lead Maths teacher in the USC/ Manual Arts Neighbourhood Academic Initiative (NAI). He was also part of the task force established by the National Research for Career and Technical to develop a national model for career and technical education in High School and College levels.
Opoku Prempeh
Matthew Opoku Prempeh, born on 23 May 1968, is a medical doctor and a health worker. He was first elected to Parliament in 2008 and is a long-standing member of the New Patriotic Party.
Dr Prempeh studied Human Biology and Medicine at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, later continuing post-graduate studies at the Netherlands Institute of Health Sciences and the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
Before parliament, he served as CEO of Keyedmap Security Services Limited from 2004 to 2009 and as a member of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of the United Kingdom from 1999 to 2003. He is a direct nephew of the 2nd President of the 4th Republic, former President, John Agyekum Kufuor.
In January 2017, President Akufo-Addo named Matthew Opoku Prempeh as part of his nineteen-member cabinet. As a Cabinet minister, Matthew Opoku Prempeh has been part of the inner circle of the president and has been part of key decision-making activities in the country for the last 8 years.
Bryan Acheampong
Bryan Acheampong is the Minister of Food and Agriculture and the Member of Parliament for the Abetifi Constituency. He is the Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee for Foreign Affairs; a Member of the Defence and Interior Committee, the Appointments Committee, and the Selection Committee.
He is the immediate past Minister of State at the Ministry of Interior and the former Minister of State at the Ministry of National Security. He was a member of the Trade and Industry Committee from 2016 to 2020. He is a retired soldier of the US Air Force with training in Anti-Terrorism, Force Protection, Laws of Armed Conflict, Conventional Defence Training, Weapons, Small Arms, and Fuels.
His experience spans Security, Intelligence, Politics, and Business Leadership. Bryan is a serial entrepreneur, having founded many successful businesses in Technology, Real Estate, Agriculture, Hospitality, and Media. Bryan was an adjunct lecturer in Electronic Business at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) for the 2021/2022 academic year.
He has a bachelor’s degree, three Master’s degrees, a graduate diploma in law, and he is a Ph.D. holder. Bryan holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Johnson and Wales University, USA, a Master’s in Business Administration from Johnson and Wales University- USA, a Master of Professional Studies (MPS) in Applied Intelligence from Georgetown University- USA, and a Master of Arts (MA) in Security and Intelligence from the University of Leicester-UK.
Bryan also holds a graduate diploma in law from the University of Law, UK. He is a Ph.D. holder in Information Systems at the University of Ghana Business School, whose research examined mutual understanding in technology projects.
He holds a certificate in Building, Leading, and Sustaining the Innovative Organization from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Effective Leadership in Management and Administration from the University of Ghana Business School, and Public Relations, Advertising, and Marketing from the Ghana Institute of Journalism. Bryan has six publications and many articles to his credit.
His foundation, the Bryan Acheampong Foundation, constantly embarks on Poverty Reduction, Health, Education, and Agriculture programs.