Alan Kyerematen's recent withdrawal from the New Patriotic Party's (NPP) presidential race on September 5, 2023, has reignited memories of a similar decision he made in 2008.
The two instances share common threads of ambition, party dynamics, and the challenges faced by the former Minister of Trade and Industry during his political journey.
In a press statement released on September 5, 2023, Kyerematen officially declared his withdrawal from the presidential primary slated for November 4, 2023.
The decision prompted discussions about his political future, which, in some ways, echoed his actions in 2008.
In 2008, Kyerematen's bid for the NPP's presidential nomination ended in disappointment when he lost to Nana Akufo-Addo.
He garnered 736 votes compared to Akufo-Addo's 1,060. This defeat led to his exit from the party at that time.
A key point of contention during both episodes was the perceived challenges and obstacles faced by Kyerematen and his supporters.
In 2023, he cited reasons for his withdrawal, including intimidation, physical assaults on his supporters, and an uneven playing field favoring a particular candidate.
This was reminiscent of the issues he encountered in 2008, which ultimately prompted his departure from the party.
Meanwhile, Alan Kyerematen slammed rumours of his imminent return to the party after his shocking resignation last week.
A statement signed by him on April 24, 2008 said no one should consider him as vacillating on his decision and "thereby displaying inconsistency in thought and judgment" because the issues he raised have not been addressed while talks aimed at having him rescind his decision have been inconclusive.
"I wish to state categorically that I have not rescinded my decision to resign from the party", the statement said, in part. Mr. Kyeremanten said it appeared that there is a calculated attempt engineered from certain quarters to create public disaffection for him, and stated that while it was true that no single individual is more important than the party to which he had belonged to, it was equally true that national interest was superior to the interest of any single party."
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Alan Kyerematen, Former Minister of Trade and Industry
