NPP flagbearer race: Alan’s withdrawal, there will be more pull-outs – Gyampo
A Political Science Lecturer at the University of Ghana, Professor Ransford Gyampo, has reacted to the withdrawal of Mr Alan Kyerematen from the flagbearer race of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP).
Mr Kyeremanten, a leading contender for the flagbearer position has withdrawn from the race.
This development was officially communicated through a statement dated September 5, 2023.
Among the reasons he cited was that the special delegates conference conducted to reduce the number of candidates from 10 to five was skewed in favour of one candidate.
Reacting to this, the Political Science lecturer in a Facebook post, said:“I warned that if things aren’t done fairly, there could be break up.
“I also warned about the public comments of those expected to be neutral arbiters. There will be more pull-outs.”
According to the Political Science lecturer, this is not the “NPP BJ da Rocha and others led.”
The level of “intimidation of varying intensity, directly and indirectly unleashed on a significant number of delegates at various voting centres across the sixteen regions'” during the recently-held special delegates conference of the governing New Patriotic Party “is unprecedented in the history of our party”, flagbearer aspirant Alan Kyerematen had said in the statement via which he announced his withdrawal from the race.
Mr Kyerematen came third in the conference which was used to whittled down the 10 aspirants to five.
One of his polling agents suffered bloody battery during the voting process.
Condemning the violence, the former Trades Minister said “the fact that my polling agent in the North East region has suffered severe damage to his eyesight, arising from his bold and courageous effort to ensure compliance with the very rules and regulations for the conduct of the elections as approved by the Presidential Elections Committee, will forever remain a dark spot in the history of internal elections within the party”.
“This incident and various acts of violence and collusion, reported in other voting centres, are appalling, unconscionable, and despicable”, Mr Kyerematen condemned.
He said: “I am committed to, and value the s+afety of those who work with me and for me, and I will always fight for their interest”, wondering to himself: “How did we get here as a party in the first place, and how far are we prepared to tread on this dangerous path to self-destruction?”
“Regrettably”, Mr Kyerematen said “I am not convinced that the circumstances I have referred to earlier, will not persist or even be escalated in the next round of elections” and, thus, announced his withdrawal from the party’s processes.
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