“Everybody knows how I do my politics; I don’t need anybody to convince people” Alan Kyerematen

• Posted on April 16, 2014
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential hopeful, Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, has debunked speculations that the newly elected General Secretary and National Chairman of the party will influence his flagbearship ambition for election 2016.

Mr Kyerematen firmly believes although the party’s newly elected General Secretary, Kwabena Agyepong and National Chairman, Paul Afoko, are his close allies they will not substitute the interest of the party for their personal agenda.

“If you know both of them, the last thing they will do is that. They are principled, they are looking for the interest of the party, and not their individual interests”, Mr Kyerematen said.

Kwabena Agyepong was Mr Kyerematen’s campaign manager ahead of the 2012 party flagbearship race.

Mr Paul Afoko is Mr Kyerematen’s close associate and was also closely involved in his campaign for presidential candidate in 2007.

The two unseated key national officers – Jake Obetsibi Lamptey, the Chairman and Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, the General Secretary at the party’s national delegates conference held at Tamale last Saturday. Their victory has sparked speculations that Mr Kyerematen will be favoured to win the NPP’s presidential nomination for the 2016 elections.

But Mr Kyerematen, a former Trade Minister and former Ambassador to the United States said on Good Evening Ghana, a news analysis programme, that although it is easy for such speculations to be flying about due to his closeness to the two key party executives, such assumptions must be shelved.

“Everybody knows how I do my politics. I don’t need anybody to convince people about who I am and what I can do for our party and for this country”, he told show host Paul Adom Otchere on Tuesday night.

To buttress the unlikely possibility of influencing the outcome of the flagbearship contest for the 2016 general elections, Mr Kyerematen stated that “the sovereignty of the electorates must be respected”, as a matter of principle.

“It is not for us to be deciding who should lead the party”, he said.

Mr Kyerematen, who will turn 59 in October this year is tipped to be key contender of the New Patriotic Party flagbearship race — which is expected to come off later this year.

He faces Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who is hoping to be third time lucky, and Nana Konadu Apraku, who also contested for the position in 2012.

-George Nyavor