NAPO apologises over Nkrumah gaffe during unveiling

The Running Mate of the New Patriotic Party, Dr Mathew Opoku Prempeh, has apologised for his controversial comments about Ghana's first president, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, regarding the latter's achievements in government. In a statement issued by him on Friday, Dr Opoku Prempeh, affectionately called NAPO, explained that his comments were his 'personal opinion' and were not intended to disrespect Dr Kwame Nkrumah or any former president. 'I wish to emphasise that I never meant to disrespect our former president, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, or any of our former heads of state; including my grand uncle and mentor, John Agyekum Kufuor,' Dr Opoku Prempeh stated. 'I note the concerns raised after my statement, I apologise sincerely and regret any discomfort caused,' he added. The apology comes days after he claimed at his unveiling in Kumasi last Tuesday that no President in Ghana's history, including the first President of the Republic, Dr Kwame Nkrumah had performed better than President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. His c omments sparked massive backlash from the public who considered it disrespectful to the first president, with the Convention People's Party (CPP) demanding his resignation. Source: Ghana News Agency