Former Trade Minister and NPP flagbearership hopeful, Alan Kyerematen appears to be walking in isolation in his quest to resurrect his NPP flagbearership dream. This dream which has not yet been realized due to set backs in years past.
Mr. Kyerematen resigned from his position as Minister for Trade and Industry at the beginning of the year and he has since switched into campaign mood with a series of campaign events.
First, he addressed a press briefing in Accra in which he announced his ambition and also sought to distance himself from the NPP government he was a part of for six years by launching veiled criticism of the President and the NPP government.
Alan’s first campaign step after resigning – at a time the NPP is under pressure – appears to have exacerbated his already tight situation by incensing the rank and file of the NPP and the impact on his campaign has been telling so far.
In the past few days, Alan Kyerematen has held two events; a thanksgiving service in Accra and a visit to Kumasi, dubbed ‘homecoming’.
However, developments at these two intended major events would have given Alan and his team serious cause to worry. Conspicuously missing at both events were stalwarts and heavyweights from key blocks of the NPP – Parliament, Ministers, former appointees, elders, Regional and constituency executives, and many others.
For an event of this nature by someone seeking to lead the NPP, one would have expected some significant presence of support by key individuals from the aforementioned caucus to send a strong signal to the key grassroots members of the party but such support was completely missing in both Accra and Kumasi.
Only few faces, who would not necessarily be considered as party heavyweights, with the exception of former Attorney General and Ambassador to Canada, Lawyer Ayikoi Otoo attended the thanksgiving service in Accra.
From the Parliamentary Caucus, only two MPs attended; Ngleshi Amanfrom MP, Sylvester Tetteh and Anyaa-Sowutuom MP Adomako Kusi, who were joined by one only one MP from the Eastern Region, Mpraeso, MP David Opoku Ansah.
By any stretch of the imagination, these faces cannot be described as heavyweights of the party from the Parliamentary Caucus, numbering 137.
No Backing In Kumasi
The disturbing situation was not better for Alan the next day in Kumasi for the planned homecoming. Just like the national thanksgiving service in Accra, NPP gurus, especially stakeholders in the Ashanti Region did not show up.
Heavyweights of the party were conspicuously missing during his visit to the Asantehene at the Manhyia Palace with key MPs, party executives, former executives and appointees among others conspicuously absent.
Out of the sitting 43 MP’s of the Ashanti Region, only 2 were present; MP’s for Subin and Asokwa. For former appointees of NPP, only 5 former MP’s, 2 DCE’s and 3 former constituency executives were present.
Interestingly, none of the 47 sitting constituency Chairmen and nearly 800 constituency executives reportedly showed up. Analyses have shown that the calibre of lightweight personnel leading Alan Kyerematen’s campaign indicates his waned popularity in the NPP.
On the front line of the Alan campaign are defeated Madina and Adenta MPs, Boniface Abubakar Saddique and Yaw Buaben Asamoah, former General Secretary, Nana Ohene and Hopeson Adore who failed to make any meaningful impact as NPP Parliamentary candidate for Kpone Katamanso in the 2020 elections.
Alan’s failure to attract influential and charismatic members of the NPP to lead his campaign coupled with the increasing defection of his former allies to the camp of Vice President Bawumia surely would be a major cause for concern to Alan and his team.
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