The 2024 vice-presidential candidate of the NPP, Matthew Opoku Prempeh, says his remarks about Ghana's first President, Kwame Nkrumah, were deliberately distorted for political advantage during the 2024 election campaign.

Speaking at the Department of Political Science of the University of Ghana, Dr. Opoku Prempeh said political opponents and sections of the media took his comments out of context to create a negative public image of him during the campaign.

Reflecting on his experience as running mate to Mahamudu Bawumia, he said the backlash did not come as a surprise, arguing that political communication often involves the reinterpretation of statements to suit competing narratives.

According to him, his remarks about Dr. Nkrumah were clear but were intentionally misrepresented by critics seeking political gain.

"When I talked about Nkrumah, most of the reportage was twisted. I live in a political space, and when people want to twist your words, they will always do. But I can assure you that it will only last a short time," he stated.

Dr. Opoku Prempeh also rejected claims that he is arrogant, describing the perception as a politically manufactured label rather than a reflection of his character.

He revealed that before accepting the position of running mate, he anticipated that political opponents would attempt to portray him negatively and was therefore not surprised when such narratives emerged during the campaign.

"Before I started this running mate role, nobody ever went on air and said I was arrogant. But they did an analysis and tagged me as such. Every radio commentator said the same thing, but none of them had even met me," he said.

The former Energy Minister maintained that attempts to misrepresent public figures are often short-lived and eventually exposed.

"I don't let it bother me because those who do that are easily found," he added.

The controversy dates back to June 9, 2024, when Dr. Opoku Prempeh, during his unveiling as the NPP's running mate in Kumasi, stated that no President in Ghana's history, including Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, had achieved more than former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

The remarks sparked widespread public criticism, with many Ghanaians calling on him to retract the statement and apologise. He subsequently issued an apology, expressing regret over the controversy generated by his comments.