Mr. Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, an aspiring flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), expressed his commitment on Monday, 17 July 2023, to assume the role of the late President Jerry John Rawlings as the godfather of the Volta region.
Speaking to delegates from various constituencies in Aflao, Ketu South, Dzodze, North Tongu, Sogakope, and Central Tongu, Kyerematen appealed to the people of the region to support him in the upcoming NPP primaries in November 2023 and the subsequent 2024 elections, with the aim of becoming the nation’s President.
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Kyerematen aimed to continue the positive contributions made by the late President Rawlings to the development of the Volta region. He addressed the delegates in Sogakope, emphasizing his possession of some of the late President Rawlings’ charisma.
He called upon Voltarians to extend the same affection they had for the late President to him, enabling him to lead the nation and ensure equitable distribution of resources to the Volta region.
Acknowledging the prevailing perception that the Volta region was traditionally an unfavorable territory for the NPP, Kyerematen expressed his conviction that this political landscape would change once he assumed leadership of the NPP, confident in the region’s support for him.
As the former Minister for Trade and Industry, Kyerematen urged the delegates to vote for a leader who had been tried, tested, and possessed nationwide appeal. He emphasized the importance of selecting a candidate who could not only become the party’s flagbearer but also secure victory in the national elections, thus enabling the NPP to “break the eight,” referring to the tradition of alternating between the NPP and NDC ruling parties every eight years.
Mr. Kyerematen asserted that he was the only candidate in the NPP capable of standing strong against the NDC, even in their stronghold of the Volta region. He promised the delegates that, as the flagbearer, he would improve their fortunes and those of the party executives by implementing a scheme to provide them with monthly salaries.
Supporting Kyerematen’s bid, Mr. John Peter Amewu, the Minister of Railways and MP for Hohoe, urged delegates to make bold decisions without succumbing to intimidation and to vote overwhelmingly for Kyerematen.
Amewu encouraged the delegates to discard their fears and resist any attempts at intimidation, highlighting that despite openly supporting Kyerematen as a cabinet minister, he had not faced any reprimand from the President.
Accompanying Kyerematen on his tour were former Minister for Zongo Development, Alhaji Boniface Abubakar, Mr. Yaw Boabeng Asamoah, and several NPP Regional executives.
