Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh (NAPO), the 2024 vice-presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has sued the deputy Imam of Ahlussuna Wal Jamaa-Ghana, and an Islamic cleric and scholar, Sheikh Mohammed Kamil Samudeen.
According to court documents, NAPO accused Sheikh Samudeen of defaming him, tagging him as a homosexual and lying that he was unmarried.
In the court document, Sheikh Samudeen is quoted to have said, “NAPO is not married, and he does not have children. He is in Parliament, and at 57 years old, he is not married. What was he doing? At 57 years old, you are rich and in Parliament, but you are not married. When they selected him to be Vice President, they found him a woman. You will see videos circulating of him sitting with the woman, and then she is trying to hold his hand, then he shoves her hand away and looks elsewhere.
“He is a homosexual. He does not like women. He is a homosexual. I am telling NAPO you are a homosexual. You do not like women. That is why at 57 years you were not married. You do not have a child. If your parents were homosexuals, they would not have given birth to you. I want him to listen carefully; if his parents and ancestors were homosexuals, they would not have given birth to him,” the court document added.
NAPO is demanding that the court declare the imam’s comments are defamatory and that Sheikh Samudeen apologise and retract the statement he made.
He is also demanding GH¢19 million in damages.
NAPO in his suit is seeking,
“a) A declaration that the words complained of in paragraph 14 herein, and published by the Defendant, are defamatory of the Plaintiff’s character;
b) An order of the Honourable Court directed at the Defendant to publish an unqualified retraction and an apology to the Plaintiff with the same prominence as the defamatory words received within days after the judgment;
c) An order of the Honourable Court for a perpetual injunction restraining the Defendant, his agents, assigns, servants, and any person claiming authority through him from further making and/or publishing any words defamatory of the Plaintiff;
d) The sum of Ten Million Ghana Cedis (GH¢10,000,000.00) in damages for defamation against the Defendant;
e) Costs, including lawyer’s fees;
f) Any other relief(s) as this honourable Court may deem fit”, reports stated.
In other news, Akwasi Anti Asamoah, a former Fomena Constituency Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has told the party’s flagbearer, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, that he cannot change Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh as the running mate.
The NPP man recounted how former President Akufo-Addo maintained Dr Bawumia after several unsuccessful attempts at the presidency.
According to him, Dr Bawumia needs to keep Napo as his running mate for consistency’s sake, just as Akufo-Addo did.
Akwasi Anti Asamoah detailed that Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh is the right candidate to partner with Dr Bawumia, adding that every individual has flaws.
He detailed that Napo has acknowledged his shortcomings and worked on them after the NPP’s defeat in the 2024 election.
Speaking in an interview on Angel TV, Akwasi Anti Asamoah stated, “Bawumia cannot change NAPO because he is the right candidate. Akufo-Addo contested with him as running mate three times, and they eventually won.
Now Bawumia has also been marketed and is going again, so NAPO is the best candidate to run with him,” he said.
He further added that the NPP lost the election due to the anger of NPP members and not the fault of Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh.
“The party suffered defeat because of anger, and it is not NAPO’s fault that we lost the election. He is the best person to partner with Bawumia for the presidency,” he stressed.