Former Afigya Kwabre South Constituency Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr. Odeneho Kweku Appiah also known as COKA has called on the party’s supporters to stay focused and strengthen their unity.
His call was as a result of the conversations of disunity and division which have erupted in the party after Mr. Alan Kyerematen, a founding father of the party’s resignation.
According to the former constituency chairman, the party can risk going into opposition if they do not come together to strengthen their unity amidst the problems they are being confronted with.
“Losing your manhood as a man is better than to live in opposition, it is hell,” he stated as he urged members of the party to stay focused and have hope for the future.
“Opposition in Ghana, you will lose some friends, no invitation for church fund raising, your confidence level sometimes will be low… Let’s strengthen our unity, stay focused, follow the elephant for protection, hope for the future and together we will break the eight”, he concluded.
The backstory
On Monday, 25 September, former Trade and Industry Minister and former flag bearer hopeful of the NPP, Mr Kyerematen’s announced his resignation from the party.
His resignation was due to certain irregularities in the party which had taken place prior and after the August 26th Super delegates conference.
According to Mr Kyerematen, efforts were made by the National Council of the party to skew the elections in favour of one candidate.
“I joined the NPP at the beginning of its establishment as a founding member, believing in its core values and the long standing traditions of its antecedents, predicted on fairness, equity, probity, accountability and transparency.” According to Mr. Kyeramateng, these values were lost and thus his resignation.
He also spoke of the sacrifices he made for the party when he sacrificed his first presidential primaries in 1996 upon the advice from certain senior members of the party. So he can rally support behind his colleague aspirants who were older than him.
The same was said in 2007 when he had to go for a run off with President Akufo Addo in the primaries.
Mr. Alan Kyeramateng says he stepped down in a bid to stop the party from dividing because there were internal conflicts between his supporters and his opponents.
All of these sacrifices and many more according to the former Trades Minister have not been honored well enough by the party.
And so with the circumstances which surrounded the super delegates conference, where one of his agents was assaulted, the alleged in transparency of which according to him the party did not address or find solution to, he decided to resign.
His resignation would create a new political future for him, which the NPP would not be part of. Mr. Kyeramateng said he will be going independent in the 2024 elections after he launched a new political movement called “Movement for Change.”
“The brand logo for the MOVEMENT is the Monarch Butterfly, which politically symbolizes change and transformation, hope, and positivity.” He says the movement will be led and powered by the youth, as it will be the force to break the duopoly in the country’s political space.
After making this announcement many people including political watchers and commentators have stated that, Mr Kyerematen’s departure will create a problem for the NPP in 2024.
They say that his influence in the party will create disunity, because he may turn some notable members to his side.
But, the party also in a press conference on Tuesday September 26th rebutted the claims saying that the NPP is bigger than Mr Kyerematen and that his departure will not affect them in any way.
