Member of Parliament for Manhyia Constituency in the Ashanti Region, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, has rubbished media reports that he is being groomed to lead the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the 2016 Presidential elections.
The �Informer� newspaper, a pro-government tabloid, on Monday, July 25th, published that a plot had been hatched with the tacit approval of former president John Agyekum Kufuor to make the Manhyia MP the party�s flagbearer for 2016 come what may.
The publication headlined �I Am Kufuor�s Choice For 2016 � Manhyia MP Brags� alleges that the NPP MP had crowed �about how he is Kufuor�s choice to lead the party after Akufo-Addo�s imminent second electoral defeat in 2012�.
The newspaper claimed it has it on authority that �Matthew Opoku Prempeh and the hawks in the Ashanti faction of the NPP, cannot wait to yank the party from the Akyems,� adding that �Kufuor no longer has faith in Alan John (the Cash) Kyeremanten, and so he is investing in his nephew Napo�.
But the Manhyia MP says the publication is a complete fabrication by some communicators in the NDC meant to sow seeds of discord within the NPP, and wondered why a person in his right frame of mind would come up with such a derogatory story just to paint him black.
�Why wouldn�t I rather help Nana Addo with all I can offer for him to become president? Why would I even think of 2016, is it selfishness or an evil spirit which has possessed me to conceive such evil thoughts?� he asked.
To him, it is only an egotistical person who will harbor the thought of leading the party in 2016 when even the 2012 General Elections had not been held.
�The party has not even contested the 2012 General Elections, why then would I be thinking of 2016? It is only a selfish person or a self-centered person, who will do that. I plead that Ghanaians should allow for the truth to prevail at all times�because, I will not and I have not spoken to anybody, I have not said anything to anybody and I will never say anything to anybody in that regard as published by the �Informer� newspaper,� he said.
Denouncing the publication in an interview on Asempa FM, an Accra-based commercial radio station, Napo, as the Manhyia MP is affectionately called, issued a stern warning to the Editor of the �Informer� newspaper to desist from such �yellow journalism� since his plot to cause chaos within the NPP, would definitely not see the light of day.
�I leave him in the hands of God�if he thinks this is how to practice journalism, then I want to advise him that God has several ways of exposing evil people�When did I come to parliament? It was just in 2008�and I doubt such ungodly statements would come from him (Kufuor),� he said.
He stressed that as long as he is human and does not know when he will be called to join his Maker, he will not be in any haste to brag about being flagbearer of the NPP, most especially in 2016.
� I serve my party not any human being�i was once castigated by my own constituency members for not openly declaring my support for either Nana Addo or Alan Kyeremanten when both keenly contested for the flagbearership slot in the party,� he said.
However, in an earlier interview, the �Informer� newspaper editor, Andy Kankam said he stands by the publication insisting that the manner in which former NPP MP for Manhyia, Dr. Addo Kufour opted out of the parliamentary race for Dr. Opoku Prempah to gain the upper hand, raises eyebrows.
�If indeed democracy is vibrant in the NPP, �Napo� should have joined a long queue before he could become a parliamentarian for Manhyia. This is because there other people who were present before he came,� he said.
Source: Chris Joe Quaicoe/Peacefmonline.com
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