NPP 2024 Flagbearership Race: Alan Kyerematen Deserves The Nod!
BY THE grace and mercy of the Almighty God, some of us are still alive to witness the 30th birthday of the New Patriotic Party in this Fourth Republic.
Freeman Koryekpor Awlesu Greater 
BY THE grace and mercy of the Almighty God, some of us are still alive to witness the 30th birthday of the New Patriotic Party in this Fourth Republic.
1992 feels like yesterday to some of us, as some of the experiences we encountered are still fresh in our memories. The 30 years’ experiences- struggles, perseverance, triumphs, defeats, heartbreak, crying, betrayals, disappointments, joy, and mistakes, to mention a few.
I respectfully doff my hat for the bravery of the living and departed founding members who weathered the storm of hostility, intimidation/, harassment, and victimization to ensure that the vision of our forefathers to see Ghana develop in freedom was not lost in history.
I also doff my hat to all those brave, loyal, and committed men and women of 18 years and above them, who saw something good in the party and became members of the party of their own volition. You didn’t wait to be promised or baited with a juicy position; you walked and ran to the party when it didn’t look attractive.
We salute you all! Whereas some of us have been fortunate to have scored 30 out of the 30 years, others are yet to score pass marks, but the most important thing is that all of us continue to share a common vision that needs to be managed and steered properly so that we don’t veer off the road as others have done.
Let’s vow never to sacrifice our enviable tradition on the altar of greed and selfishness of the few. We are a tradition that recognizes seniority and rewards commitment and loyalty. We are a tradition guided by history. Never again should we allow greed and selfishness to divide our ranks and weaken our base.
1979 is there to guide us. For the dignity of our tradition, unity, and victory sake, we would choose a founding member of our party, Alan Kyerematen, who, amid serious tension that could break up the unity of the party into pieces, saw the need to make a great sacrifice for Nana Addo to lead the party in 2007 at the Legon Congress, when Nana Addo was not able to secure the required the 50% plus 1 to become the party’s presidential candidate.
Nana Addo, in his acceptance speech after the contest, recognized and appreciated that great sacrifice and openly said Mr. Alan Kyerematen would be the next leader to lead the party after him. Such a profound statement by Nana Addo cannot be forgotten.
What political sense would it be to throw away the golden advantage we have been having over the NDC in the political market when it is pretty obvious that the 2024 election is going to be the most competitive since 1992.
Three political parties would pick their presidential candidates from the North – the NDC, PNC, and Hassan Ayariga’s party. So, what advantage would the NPP have for also picking our candidate from the North, especially when a member of the largest community in the country, the Christian community, which has most of its members in the South?
Think about it! Without a doubt, the Alan brand is the most popular, attractive, and marketable brand in the country at the moment.
We need to win in the Ashanti Region, Eastern Region, Central Region, Western Region, and Ahafo Region before we want to break the 8. By far, Alan Cash is the only person who can connect well with these regions to give us the needed numbers to win in 2024.
Hon. Alan Kyerematen, most of the young ones in the party don’t even know that your signature was one of the few signatures that gave birth to the party.
Some have even been made to erroneously believe that it was President Kuffour who brought you to the party in 2008, 14 years ago. Oh, how we have failed to teach our young ones the true history of our great tradition!
Truth must be told that, as a founding member, you weren’t only there in the labor room when the party was born, but you were also part of the few brave ones who nurtured and nourished the baby Elephant till she was able to stand on her feet well to win power in 2008. Significantly, you were also part of the few people who emptied their bank accounts to buy the party’s first headquarters at Kokomlemle and financed the party from day one (1992).
At that time, some people didn’t see our party be good enough to join, but you risked it all to be a founding member, regardless of the potential consequences at the time.
That was the dark days of Ghana politics, the era of commandos, when people lost their careers, businesses, limbs, lives, and fortunes by being members of NPP. Kwadwo Kyerematen, your unparalleled service, labor, and sacrifice would never be in vain. You shall be the head and not the tail. You shall be the next president of our great Republic.
No amount of money, intimidation, manipulation, and twisting of history can stop that. You would be the one to breathe a new kind of hope and inspiration into the party’s current state of unconsciousness to revive it once again.
And, we shall all smile as Ghanaians like the infectious smile of a baby. Surely, there is hope! Shalom!
Story. E.G Buckman
