The New Patriotic Party (NPP) through its General Secretary, Justin Frimpong Kodua has responded to Hon. Alan Kwadwo Kyeremateng's resignation from the party and subsequent intention to contest the presidential election as an independent candidate. According to the General Secretary, the news of Alan's resignation came as a shock to the party giving to the fact that he resigned without notice to the party. The party has however refuted certain claims contained in his speech.
The General Secretary has categorically stated that the reasons given by Mr. Kyerematen for his resignation as captured in pages seven (7) and eight (8) of his resignation address are the allegations of “so called” unconstitutional and unmeritorious decisions of the National Council regarding a petition by some presidential aspirants which demanded that the Super Delegates Conference should be held at a single venue as well as allowing each delegate to nominate five persons instead of one. Based on this premise, Alan alleged that the election was skewed in favour of one candidate. That the decision for the venue and matters relating to same are in the hands of the National Council as provided by the party's Constitution.
The General Secretary further disagrees with assertions made by Mr. Kyerematen in page eight (8) of his resignation address that ‘‘the Party has been hijacked by a selected group of Party leaders and elders, and government appointees behind the curtain power brokers’’. This is not true because, the election will be decentralized to over two hundred thousand delegates to vote for the flagbearers come November 4th.
He also alleged intimidation against his supporters, the General Secretary refuted this claim blatantly, stating that government appointees who openly declared their support for Alan are still at post.
Alan Kwadwo Kyeremateng was hopeful that he will win as an independent presidential candidate while unveiling his goal. He stated that he will establish and lead a new MOVEMENT FOR CHANGE in Ghana with the Monarch Butterfly as its brand logo. According to him, the logo politically symbolizes change and transformation, hope, and positivity and that it communicates strength, endurance, spirituality, and trust, which are key traits that he cherishes as a Political Leader.
Alan enumerated his sacrifices for the party. Having served as Chairman of a group of young dynamic Business Executives and Professionals calling itself the Young Executives Forum (YEF). Per his account, the YEF since 1992, became the financial backbone of the Party and provided significant financial resources to support the Party in all its endeavours, including the seed fund for the purchase of the Party’s first national headquarters building. As Chairman of the YEF, he had the privilege of serving as a member of the National Executive Committee and the National Council of the Party. In addition to this, he served as a leading member of various Committees of the Party.
In 1996, he declared his interest of contesting the presidential primaries of the NPP but he was advised by some senior party members to withdraw and allow the elderly candidates contest. He later became a corner stone in former President John Agyekum Kuffour's campaign leading to a win.
Alan was later appointed the High Commissioner to the United States. In 2003, he was appointed the Minister for Trade and Industry and Presidential Special Initiatives. Between 2003 and 2007, he led the Government’s programme for enhancing private sector development and ushering a Golden Age of Business in Ghana.
In 2007, Alan Kwadwo Kyeremateng joined a group of seventeen (17) Presidential aspirants to contest in the presidential primaries of NPP. In that election, under very strange circumstances, the electoral process was truncated on the day of the election, on account of accusations levelled against him, he claimed. That, he was accused of influencing the course of the elections. This strategy was designed to create disfavour against him, in an attempt to diminish his popularity and the massive support he enjoyed amongst the grassroot activists of the Party he added. In spite of these unfortunate occurrence however, when the votes were finally counted, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo came first, and he was the runner-up and according to the rules of the electoral process, the two of them were to contest by a run-off. It was this point that he made the land mark declaration of stepping down for Nana Addo to lead the party. According to him, he did this for the sake of unity.
The party has expressed gratitude for his support for the party.
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