Flagbearer hopeful of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, has withdrawn from contesting the party’s presidential election scheduled for November 4, 2023, accusing the NPP special delegates of being skewed to favour a particular aspirant.
In a press statement dated September 5, 2023, the former Trade and Industry Minister said his decision to withdraw from the race is based on the analysis of the special college results, the presence of intimidation and violence during the election, and the fact that the special delegates were skewed to favour a particular delegate.
“After having carefully analysed the results of the said election, it is absolutely clear to me from events leading to, during, and after the elections that the special Delegates Conference was strategically and tactically skewed in favour of one particular aspirant”.
He said the pronouncements made by some leading members both before and after the elections also lend weight to his observations.
He emphasised that “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, is unprecedented in the history of our party”.
“In addition,the fact that my polling agent in the North East Region has suffered severe damage to his eye sight, 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 election committee”.
The statement stressed that “regrettably , I am not convinced that the circumstances I have referred to earlier will not persist or even escalate in the next round of elections, for which balloting is scheduled for Wednesday, the 6th of September”
He indicated that in the coming weeks he will provide an indication of the role he will play in politics in Ghana after consulting his family and well-wishers.
Source: A1radioonline.com|101.1MHz|Gilbert Azeem Tiroog|Ghana
