In a surprising turn of events, former New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential hopeful, John Kwadwo Alan Kyerematen, has extended an olive branch to members of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).
During a press conference held at the Movenpick Ambassador Hotel on Monday, September 25, Kyerematen announced his resignation from the ruling NPP and his intention to run as an independent candidate in the 2024 presidential elections.
He pledged to be a president for all Ghanaians, including members of the NDC, saying, “You will be better off avoiding the risk of remaining in opposition if you do not win the 2024 General Election, and rather participate in the Government of National Unity by voting for Alan Kyerematen as President in December 2024.”
Kyerematen, who had been a key figure within the NPP and a founding member of the party, expressed his disappointment with the current state of the NPP, noting that it no longer reflects the core values and traditions he believed in when he joined in 1992.
He criticized the party for what he perceived as a takeover by a select group of leaders, government appointees, and behind-the-scenes power brokers.
Despite his departure, Kyerematen assured that his decision to contest as an independent candidate would not spell the end of the NPP.
Instead, he believes it offers the party an opportunity to engage in a potential Government of National Unity in the future, thus avoiding the risk of entering opposition without any electoral gains in what is expected to be a challenging general election in 2024.
He urged NPP members to support their preferred NPP parliamentary candidates and vote for him, Alan John Kwadwo Kyerematen, in the Presidential elections in December 2024, with the aspiration of becoming the sixth President of the fourth Republic of Ghana.