Matthew Opoku Prempeh Files GH¢10m Defamation Suit Against Sheikh Mohammed Kamil Samudeen
- Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh has filed a defamation suit against Sheikh Mohammed Kamil Samudeen over allegations describing him as homosexual
- The cleric allegedly claimed NAPO only got married after being selected as running mate to Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, prompting legal action
- NAPO says the claims are false and malicious, and is asking the court to order a retraction and apology for the remarks
The 2024 vice-presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, popularly known as NAPO, has filed a defamation suit against a renowned Islamic cleric, Sheikh Mohammed Kamil Samudeen.
Sheikh Samudeen, who is the Deputy Imam of the Ahlussuna Wal Jamaa in Ghana, is alleged to have accused NAPO of being homosexual and claimed that he was only given a wife after he was made the running mate to former Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, the NPP’s 2024 presidential candidate.
Source: UGC
“NAPO is not married and he does not have children. He is in Parliament and, at 57 years, he is not married. What was he doing? At 57 years, you are rich and in Parliament but you are not married. When they selected him to be Vice President, then they found him a woman. You will see videos circulating of him sitting with the woman and then she tries to hold his hand, but he shoves her hand away and looks elsewhere,” he allegedly said.
“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 and did not have a child. If your parents were homosexual, they would not have given birth to you. I want him to listen carefully: if his parents and ancestors were homosexual, they would not have given birth to him,” he allegedly added.
NAPO, who is a former MP for Manhyia South and former Minister for Energy and Education, however, said the allegations made by the Islamic cleric are “false and malicious” and were aimed at tarnishing his image in the run-up to the 2024 election.
In a report by GhanaWeb, NAPO claimed in his suit that Sheikh Samudeen had defamed him.
The former minister and MP consequently asked the court to declare that the Imam’s comments were defamatory and to order him to retract and apologise for his unfortunate remarks.
Read the Facebook post below:
Who is Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh?
Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh is a prominent Ghanaian medical doctor and politician, with family roots in the Ashanti Kingdom.
He most recently served as the vice-presidential candidate for the NPP in the 2024 general elections, running alongside Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, the immediate past Vice President of Ghana.
Before his 2024 nomination, Napo served as the MP for Manhyia South and as Minister for Energy.
Between 2017 and 2021, he served as Minister for Education and oversaw the implementation of the Free Senior High School policy, a key campaign promise of the NPP.
Source: Facebook
NPP MPs wants NAPO as veep
Meanwhile, YEN.com.gh reported some NPP MPs urged Dr Mahamudu Bawumia to retain Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh as his running mate for the 2028 election.
Dr Prempeh, popularly known as Napo, was warmly cheered by MPs after attending President John Mahama’s 2026 State of the Nation Address.
The calls for Napo to continue as Bawumia’s running mate have sparked widespread reactions among netizens.
Source: YEN.com.gh
