The Minister of State at the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development (MLGDRD) has revealed that the NPP can institute a court action against Alan Kyerematen to stop him from contesting as an independent candidate.
According to O.B. Amoah, who is also the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament for Akwapim South constituency in the Eastern Region, the party is strengthened by Article 13 (7) (f) of the NPP constitution
Mr Amoah said based on Article 13 (7) (f) of the NPP constitution, which is one of several provisions governing the election of the party’s presidential candidate, the NPP can stop Mr Kyerematen or any other candidate who filed his or her nomination forms to contest the party’s presidential primaries from going independent because they sign an undertaking to that effect.
Article 13 (7) (f) states that “no member shall be entitled to nomination as the party’s presidential candidate unless he or she has signed the undertaking for presidential aspirants”.
The undertaking signed by the candidates’ states that “persons who express, or indicate their interest to contest in the party’s presidential primaries and file their nomination forms, shall not offer themselves as independent candidates and they shall not under any circumstances be in breach of the undertaking”.
It further states that “in the event of the breach of the undertaking, the New Patriotic Party reserves the right to restraint any candidate from contesting as an independent candidate or as a candidate on the ticket of any other party”.
O.B. Amoah in an interview on Adom TV pointed out that Mr Alan Kyerematen signed the said undertaking together with all the nine (9) other candidates who filed their nominations to contest the party’s primaries and that has activated the party’s right to restrain anyone who decides to breach the undertaking that he or she signed freely.
Mr Amoah indicated that if the NPP decides to file a court action against Mr Kyeremateng, he is fully persuaded that the party will secure an injunction to stop him from contesting the 2024 elections as an independent candidate.
In the event that Mr Kyerematen makes any claims that he chose his current route because of certain actions or inactions of the party or its leadership, he will be invited by the court to prove his claims.
Mr Kyerematen at a press conference held on Monday 25 September 2023, announced his resignation from the NPP and the formation of what he called “Movement for Change”.
He also disclosed that he will be contesting the December 2024 presidential and parliamentary as an independent candidate. He added that his movement will be represented by the butterfly symbol.
Kyerematen filed his nomination to contest the NPP presidential primaries on Monday 19 June 2023. He subsequently contested in the party’s special electoral college polls on Saturday 26 August 2023 and polled 95 votes, placing third (3rd).
Having qualified as one of five persons shortlisted for the main presidential primaries to be held on Saturday 4 November 2023, Alan Kyerematen pulled out of the race by issuing a press statement to that effect on Tuesday 5 September 2023.