Matthew Opoku Prempeh, the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) vice-presidential candidate in Ghana’s 2024 election, said political leaders must honour their campaign promises or risk eroding public trust and weakening their credibility.
Speaking at the Department of Political Science at the University of Ghana, Opoku Prempeh, popularly known as NAPO, said effective leadership should be measured by a government’s ability to translate campaign commitments into tangible improvements in citizens’ lives.
“Governance is to ensure that what the leaders say, they can see is executed in their lives. People who are leaders or want to be leaders, what they say must matter,” he said.
The former energy minister said accountability and results should remain at the centre of governance, arguing that voters expect elected officials to deliver on the pledges made during election campaigns.
Opoku Prempeh cited Ghana’s Free Senior High School policy as an example of a major campaign promise that, when implemented, helped strengthen public confidence in government and reinforce trust between leaders and citizens.
He also called for greater investment in leadership development and stronger governance systems to improve public service delivery.
Ghana’s constitutional framework grants significant powers to the presidency, he said, making it critical for those entrusted with leadership to exercise authority responsibly and in the public interest.
