Alan Kyerematen, an aspiring presidential candidate for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has called on delegates in the Tema Constituencies to elect him as the party’s flagbearer. Speaking at a durbar in Tema, Kyerematen engaged directly with delegates from Tema West, Tema East, and Tema Central Constituencies, seeking their support in the upcoming NPP Presidential Primaries scheduled for November.
Kyerematen, a former Trade and Industry Minister, highlighted the immense voter base in the NPP stronghold, the Ashanti Region, expressing that millions of voters there support his vision for industrializing the country. He urged delegates to make the right choice by endorsing his candidacy.
He also emphasized the broader support he has garnered nationwide, stating that opposition parties and Ghanaians at large believe in his leadership. Kyerematen encouraged delegates to affirm him as the NPP’s presidential candidate, as their decision would have a significant impact.
Claiming to be the only aspirant capable of dividing votes in the Volta Region, he asserted that he had received endorsements in the Greater Accra, Central, and Western Regions, which possess swing voters. Kyerematen expressed his intention to make the five northern regions the NPP’s stronghold if elected as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2024 elections.
Drawing on his long-standing commitment to the party since 1992, Kyerematen emphasized his comprehensive understanding of the NPP’s trajectory, asserting that his experience made him the rightful successor to President Akufo-Addo. He called for the fulfillment of the assurances made to him during the previous NPP Presidential Primaries, as President Akufo-Addo approaches the end of his tenure and former President John Dramani Mahama has already served his term.
Acknowledging the minor disunity among aspirants due to the number of candidates in the race, Kyerematen expressed his commitment to resolving the issue. He brought together delegates from all three constituencies at the durbar as a step towards unity.
Kyerematen urged fellow aspirants not to engage in mudslinging but to focus on promoting a message of togetherness. The NPP aims to break the record of being in power for more than eight years.
In his address, Kyerematen urged delegates not to accept money for votes or base their decision on promises of job opportunities. He assured party members of social security and other benefits funded by his contributions.
Alan Kyerematen, who served as Minister for Trade and Industry from 2017 to 2023 and Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States of America, has a notable political background. He held key ministerial positions in former President John Kufuor’s NPP government and served as a trade advisor at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.
Kyerematen previously contested the NPP leadership in 2007, securing 32.3 percent of the votes and placing as the first runner-up to Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who won with 47.96 percent. He made subsequent attempts in 2010 and 2014, finishing second to Nana Akufo-Addo on both occasions.