It appears winning the 2024 general elections is becoming more difficult for the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) by the minute.
The economy, an important factor voters consider before casting their ballot, is in shambles, and many experts have indicated it might get worse.
Not only that, some leading figures of the party have started to express their intention of contesting against the party in the upcoming general elections in both the parliamentary and presidential elections and this would certainly affect the party's fortune.
This might not only deny the NPP’s quest to win power for a third successive term—break the 8 – but is also likely to rob it of a majority in the Parliament of Ghana.
Here are some leading members of the NPP who will be contesting in the 2024 general elections as independent candidates.
Alan Kyerematen
Alan Kyerematen, a founding member of the NPP, who has served in all NPP governments in the 4th Republic, announced his decision to leave the NPP and also contest as an independent candidate in the 2024 presidential elections, on Monday, September 25, 2023,
Speaking at a press conference in Accra, Alan said that even though it was his wish to become president of Ghana on the ticket of the NPP, the party has now been hijacked by ‘unscrupulous party apparatchiks’.
“The NPP as it exists now has very little resemblance to the Party that I joined in 1992 and helped to nurture. The Party has been hijacked by a selected group of Party leaders and elders, government appointees, 'behind the curtain power brokers' and some unscrupulous party apparatchiks.
“... I wish to use this platform to announce that I am honourably resigning from the New Patriotic Party to contest for the high office of the President of the Republic of Ghana in the 2024 general elections as an independent presidential candidate,” he said.
Alan added that his presidential ambition would be run by a movement led by the youth.
“To actualise this goal, I will establish and lead a new MOVEMENT FOR CHANGE in Ghana. The brand logo for the MOVEMENT is the Monarch Butterfly, which politically symbolizes change and transformation, hope, and positivity. It also communicates strength, endurance, spirituality, and trust, which are key traits that I cherish as a Political Leader. In Akan, it is known as Afrafranto. The brand motto of the MOVEMENT is “Ghana Will Rise Again,” which symbolizes hope for the future of Ghana.
“The new Movement will be led and powered by the youth of Ghana. Out of the over 17 million registered voters in the 2020 general election, the youth aged 18-35 years constituted over 9.4 million voters representing 55% of the total voters,” he said.
Charles Owusu
Charles Owusu, a former Head of the Monitoring Unit at the Forestry Commission of Ghana, declared his intention to contest the parliamentary seat in Nkoranza North in the upcoming 2024 general election in August 2023.
Charles Owusu, who is known to be a staunch member of the governing New Patriotic Party, stated categorically that he would partake in the parliamentary race as an independent candidate.
Speaking on Asempa FM and monitored by GhanaWeb, he opined that 2024 was his year of breakthrough to become a lawmaker.
Mr Owusu, who is optimistic of victory and ready to represent Nkoranza North constituents in parliament said, "I'll contest the Nkoranza North parliamentary seat in 2024 as an independent candidate... Currently, Joseph Mensah of the NDC is the MP, he's trying his best and we pray continues doing his best... but I know 2024 is my time."
He has not held back in criticizing the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo government and the leadership of the NPP. However, he has stated that his party would win the 2024 presidential elections.
A Plus
Political activist and social commentator Kwame Obeng Asare, popularly known as A Plus, declared his intention to contest for the Gomoa Central Parliamentary seat as an independent candidate in the 2024 general elections on September 23, 2023.
According to A Plus, who has boasted on several occasions about his contribution to NPP’s electoral victory in 2016, he has done enough for the constituents to give him the nod to represent them in parliament.
In a video shared by GhOne TV on their Twitter page and sighted by GhanaWeb, Kwame A Plus expressed optimism about his victory in the parliamentary elections and admonished potential aspirants to allow him to go unopposed to represent the Gomoa Central constituency in Parliament.
“Come 2024, I'm not contesting NDC or NPP. I will unseat the MP in this area. Anyone who competes with me will be defeated. I am very confident that I am going to win this seat," he said.
“It is very likely that in 2025 I will be the only independent candidate in Ghana’s parliament and that is what I want to do. This constituency is ours, if you want to contest, we are waiting for you. If you come with money, sweet talks, or anything that the person brings, I will beat him/her. I have more influence than anyone. So, whether NPP or NDC, no one should contest the seat coming 2025, they should allow me to go unopposed and go to parliament.
"I don’t even want any competition. Anyone who wants to join me can share my ambition with me and maybe if I win, I can help the person to become DCE but to be MP in this constituency in 2024, no two ways about that I am going to win the election,” Kwame A Plus told the media.
A Plus has consistently criticised the Akufo-Addo government and the leadership of the NPP.
He recently infuriated some members of the NPP after he tore a letter from the party to Accra-based UTV, which led to some of the party members besieging the TV station.
BAI/OGB
Ghana’s leading digital news platform, GhanaWeb, in conjunction with the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, is embarking on an aggressive campaign which is geared towards ensuring that parliament passes comprehensive legislation to guide organ harvesting, organ donation, and organ transplantation in the country.
A Plus, Alan Kyerematen and Charles Owusu (from L to R)