Leader and founder of the United Party (UP), Alan John Kwadwo Kyerematen, has declared that Ghana’s current political climate demands a new force capable of bridging the deep divisions created by the duopoly of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
His comments, drawn from an extensive interview and the launch of his newly formed party, underscore growing calls for a credible alternative in Ghana’s multiparty democracy.
The United Party, officially launched at the Coconut Groove Hotel in Accra on October 16, 2025, represents what Mr. Kyerematen describes as “a movement for national unity and transformation.” He insists that Ghana’s two-party dominance has fostered rancour and divisiveness rather than progress.
“If you look at the nature and character of our politics now with the duopoly between the NDC and the NPP, our politics has become so divisive and so rancorous that if there was ever a time in this country where there was clear need for a third party that would bridge the political divide, that time is now”
Alan John Kwadwo Kyerematen, Leader and Founder of the United Party
Mr. Kyerematen, who previously served as Minister of Trade and Industry under the Akufo-Addo administration, noted that the political context in Ghana today differs markedly from the past when other splinter parties failed to make headway.
He explained that those efforts emerged when the political space was less open to alternatives and the citizenry less disillusioned with the mainstream parties. “One needs to appreciate and understand the dynamics of those parties and the period within which they came alive,” he said.
“Generally speaking, if you look at the people who have led those parties that have come out of either NDC or NPP, they would probably have been stalwarts in the party… but they left much earlier and tried on their own yet maybe the context was different at that time and there was probably no strong need for a third force”
Alan John Kwadwo Kyerematen, Leader and Founder of the United Party
The United Party’s formation, he emphasised, stems from a “clear and compelling national mood for change.” According to Mr. Kyerematen, the repeated cycle of misgovernance under the two dominant parties has eroded public trust and created fertile ground for a united front that transcends partisan loyalties.
The Birth of UP and Rejection of NPP
At the official launch, Mr. Kyerematen described the United Party as a “dawn of a new era,” signalling a transition from his Movement for Change, established in 2023 after his resignation from the NPP.
“This is not just the birth of a party but the beginning of a movement that puts Ghana first,” he announced. Mr. Kyerematen explained that the UP is rooted in the same principles that inspired Ghana’s early political independence movements.
For him, the new organisation carries the ideological legacy of the old United Party tradition, built on the values of national unity, freedom, and social progress. “The movement was always going to transition into a formal party, whether we win or lose,” he said, reaffirming that the United Party’s mission goes beyond electoral competition to national renewal.
Amid the optimism surrounding the UP’s emergence, Mr. Kyerematen also dismissed the New Patriotic Party’s offer of amnesty to former members who left or faced disciplinary action.
The NPP, in a statement signed by its acting National Chairman, Mr. Danquah Smith Buttey, on August 16, 2025, extended a general pardon to suspended members and those with pending cases before the party’s disciplinary bodies.
Mr. Kyerematen, however, rejected the gesture, describing it as unnecessary and inapplicable to his case.
“That was one of the most presumptuous statements that was made. They granted amnesty, and they defined those who could benefit from the amnesty. A party cannot talk about granting me amnesty. I didn’t even understand what they meant by amnesty”
Alan John Kwadwo Kyerematen, Leader and Founder of the United Party
He further argued that the decision “had no value” since he voluntarily resigned from the NPP in 2023. Kyerematen said his decision to leave the party was not born of bitterness but conviction, insisting that he remains one of the most respected political figures within Ghana’s conservative establishment.
“It even shows arrogance. I have been a founding member of the NPP. I have been a distinguished senior member of the NPP, I left on my own accord and even at the risk of sounding a bit boastful, I can tell you that I am one of the most popular politicians within the rank and file of the NPP”
Alan John Kwadwo Kyerematen, Leader and Founder of the United Party
Mr. Alan Kyerematen maintained that the United Party is not merely a political organisation but a reformist platform designed to unite citizens under a shared vision of integrity and competence. The party, he says, seeks to “rally professionals, youth, farmers, and civil society actors to offer Ghana a credible third option,” by the 2028 general elections.
He believes the changing political context, the fatigue among citizens, and the demand for better governance make this moment uniquely ripe for a third political force. “It is not just the rancour and the divisiveness, but also the performance of the two parties,” he reiterated.
The launch of the United Party, he explained, marks not only a personal milestone but a collective awakening for Ghanaians who seek change – positioning UP as a bridge between Ghana’s political past and its reformist future.
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