Renowned pollster, Ben Ephson, has voiced his opinion that the withdrawal of Alan Kyerematen, a hopeful in the New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential primaries, is unlikely to significantly affect the party.
In a statement released on Tuesday, September 5, the former Trade minister Kyerematen announced his decision to withdraw from the race.
He cited concerns regarding the fairness of the special delegates' conference held in August , stating that events leading up to, during, and after the conference were strategically and tactically skewed in favor of one particular aspirant. He also raised issues of intimidation and violence reported at various voting centers during the conference.
Kyerematen expressed his doubts about the prospects of a fair election in the upcoming round, scheduled for Wednesday, September 6, 2023.
However, during an interview on the Big Bulletin, Ben Ephson offered his perspective on the situation.
"I think that many of those who will vote for Alan Kyerematen in the primaries love NPP more than Alan Kyerematen as a person," Ephson remarked,
He went on to highlight Alan Kyerematen's previous experience within the party, saying, "Now if he leaves and contests as an independent candidate or on another party's ticket for the 2024 general elections, for your listeners who are 30 years and below, they will not remember that 17 years ago when President Akufo-Addo defeated Alan Kyerematen, he resigned from the NPP before coming back to the party."
Ephson also made a point about the influence of the party hierarchy, stating, "Now he makes a point about the hierarchy of government supporting a candidate; 17 years ago, President Kufour's government and hierarchy supported him and he lost, so a system supporting you does not guarantee victory."
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Renowned pollster, Ben Ephson