Deputy Minister for Information, Sylvester Tetteh, has dismissed claims that the the government commissioned the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) to survey the preferred running mate for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer.
The government, he said, has not commissioned any institution to conduct any survey, opinion poll or research to determine a preferred running mate to partner with the flagbearer, Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia.
“I am speaking as the Deputy Minister of Information and spokesperson of this government,” he stated.
He was speaking to Okay FM on the widely distributed results of a purported survey conducted by the NIB that tips Energy Minister, Mathew Opoku Prempeh (Napo) as the leading candidate to partner with the Vice President for the 2024 general elections.
The Deputy Minister emphasized that the NPP has established protocols for selecting a running mate, and the current process is not different from previous elections.
He said, “The Vice President has been a running mate three times before becoming the Vice President. He knows the workings of this party and how the party chooses a running mate to partner the flag bearer.”
According to Sylvester Tetteh, the prerogative of selecting a running mate lies solely with the flag bearer, who then presents the choice to the National Council for approval.
He argued that neither the Vice President nor the NPP have commissioned anyone to find who is popular as a running mate when the established protocols for such selection still exist.
“It is not true that the Vice President has ordered any institution to conduct an opinion poll to help him select a running mate. Selecting a running mate is not a popularity contest,” he stressed.
He also cautioned the public against misinformation spread via social media.
He stated that in the era of social media, unscrupulous persons can publish false information and stressed that the so-called opinion poll by the NIB is not credible.
Hon. Tetteh assured Ghanaians that when the time comes; the NPP flagbearer will select a running mate and present the candidate to the National Council.
“Dr. Bawumia is an experienced politician and does not need an opinion poll to decide who to choose as his running mate,” he stressed.
Addressing broader concerns about misinformation, the Deputy Minister explained the global challenge posed by using artificial intelligence.
He said people can clone voices and make false claims that are hard to refute and stressed that this situation underscores the importance of verifying information from credible sources.
He urged Ghanaians to focus on substantive policy discussions and the solutions proposed by the candidates to address the nation’s challenges.
He stated that the upcoming elections should be about which candidate can best address issues like the economy, education, electricity and others.
According to him, Dr. Bawumia has espoused policies to address the current challenges while his opponent from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has continuously pointed to the ills of the NPP government without telling Ghanaians how he will address the challenges when voted into power.
Ghanaians, he said, have experienced government under John Mahama, which is why they rejected him in 2016 and stressed the NDC flagbearer has nothing new to offer compared to Vice President Bawumia.