The departure of a former stalwart of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, appears to have left an indelible mark on the party as it heads into the 2024 general elections.
Mr. Kyerematen resigned from the party in September after the party’s Special Delegates Conference in August, where the presidential candidates were narrowed down to five.
He cited the intimidation of his supporters and the party being allegedly hijacked by a select few, thus forming his own Movement Party to contest the 2024 general elections as an independent presidential candidate.
During an interview on Citi TV, the New Patriotic Party Director of Elections and Research, Evans Nimako, expressed concern about the exit of Alan Kyerematen, indicating that he wished he had never left.
Evans Nimako expressed hope that Mr. Kyerematen would rescind his decision and return to the elephant party.
“He has been a member of the party from its inception. He was part of the young executives. He has been into elections in this party at that level and not any other level but the presidential. He neither contested a national position nor an MP position. I wish Mr. Kyerematen had not left, but had stayed.”
But when the presidential elections committee was engaging with him and his agents, he pulled his resignation from the party. That’s about it. He intends to contest the 2024 election as an independent candidate on his Movement. As we speak, he’s not a candidate yet. Because it’s possible he will change his mind, that will be his decision. And so for me, it has happened, and this is not the first time it has happened.”
He admitted that the party is entering the 2024 elections with some accompanying challenges which seem insurmountable.
“NPP is certain that we are going into the elections with all these challenges. We are mindful of that,” the Director of Elections and Research of NPP said.
On November 20, the party announced that Hopeson Adorye, Yaw Buaben Asamoa, Nana Ohene Ntow, and Boniface Abubakar Saddique were no longer members of the party after they publicly endorsed and campaigned for the Independent presidential candidate, Alan Kyerematen.
In a statement issued on Monday, the NPP said the four had forfeited their membership in the party for their flagrant breach of the party’s Constitution, particularly Articles 3(5)(A)(4) and 3(9)(1).