The founder and leader of ‘Movement for Change’, Mr. Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, the man with an inordinate ambition to become a presidential candidate has stoked religious fire in the country.
In a video that has gone viral, Mr. Kyerematen is heard at the Easter Sunday Convention in Dr. Thomas Wyatt Assembly of the Church of Pentecost, calling on the electorate not to vote for Muslims including presidential and parliamentary candidates as leaders in the 2024 general election.
According to him, Ghana is predominantly a Christian country and therefore the country should necessarily have a Christian leader.
“So as a predominantly Christian nation, as Christians it is our responsibility to ensure that we elect a Christian leader who is also a Christ-like leader,” Mr. Kyerematen stated.
His nation-wrecking comment has since set tongues wagging as some political pundits as well as Christian and Muslim clerics are questioning whether he will pick a Muslim as his running mate or even choose Muslims to be parliamentary candidate for his ‘Movement for Change’ as well as pick Muslims to be Ministers if he wins the presidential election.
“Muslims have never had a Presidential candidate and have always voted for a Christian candidate in this country without difficulty. Now that there’s a Muslim candidate he thinks Christians will have difficulty voting for a Muslim. I prefer a practicing Muslim to a Christian who is always drunk,” a Christian cleric reacted.
Muslim Leader Could Be Better For Ghana – ICGC Senior Pastor

Senior Pastor of ICGC Calvary Temple on Spintex Road Rev. Anthony Cudjoe has expressed a bold view that a Muslim leader could effectively govern Ghana, potentially leading the nation to greater heights.
Addressing his congregation during this year’s Easter sermon, the Senior Pastor pointed out that “Sometimes you hear Ghanaians say we need a Christian leader. Hey, listen, a Muslim can lead this nation, and Ghana could be better. If God wants to do it, He will use anything.”
Drawing biblical parallels, he referenced the story of Cyrus, highlighting how God can use individuals from unexpected backgrounds to achieve His purposes.
“Why should God call Cyrus – My anointed, Cyrus my anointed? He wasn’t a Jew. Cyrus was from Persia; those kind of people who have controlled Israel,” Pastor Cudjoe explained, emphasizing that God’s choice of leaders transcends religious boundaries.
He highlighted the power of prayer in influencing leaders’ hearts and actions.
“We’re going to pray that the one whom you think is wicked will be softened, the one who is difficult will be softened, the wicked will be changed, the enemy should become indifferent. That somebody who can’t be for you will decide also not to be against you,” Pastor Cudjoe told his congregation.
Alan quits NPP
Mr. Kyerematen quit the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) after four failed attempts in 16 years to lead the party as its presidential candidate.
He thought it was his birthright to lead the NPP after Nana Akufo-Addo but the party faithful did not believe in his patrimony as they completely rejected him at the polls.
Mr. Kyerematen officially submitted his resignation letter to the NPP on September 5, 2023, indicating he was no longer interested in being a member of the party.
He subsequently addressed a news and announced his decision to contest in the 2024 general election as an independent presidential candidate, using the “Movement for Change” with a Butterfly as the symbol.
Described as the ‘Butterfly man,’ he was part of the Akufo-Addo-led NPP government for seven years as Trade and Industry Minister until he resigned to be part of the governing party’s presidential race on August 26, 2023.
He however performed abysmally in the Special Super Delegates Conference, placing a distant third after Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and Assin Central MP Kennedy Ohene Agyapong.
Mr. Kyerematen was supposed to be part of the top five candidates who were going into the final selection on November 4, 2023, having garnered 95 out of the 958 votes at stake.
But he chickened out of the race for fear of an image denting defeat, considering the popularity gained by Vice President Bawumia and Kennedy Agyapong as the leading candidates in the first polls.
Long-time ambition
Mr. Kyerematen’s name first came up in 2005 as one of the possible replacement for the then President John Agyekum Kufuor who was retiring on January 6, 2009, as the leader of the NPP.
In 2007, he contested with 16 other candidates and came second, as Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, current President of Ghana, beat him and became the leading candidate.
President Akufo-Addo has led the party since 2007 as the first presidential choice and has subsequently beaten Mr. Kyerematen in two other NPP presidential primaries.
He is retiring on January 6, 2025, hence the NPP has replaced him with his vice, Dr. Bawumia as the party’s new leader.
The vice president shot up as the preferable choice as party members threw their support behind him for the 2024 presidential election.
He garnered a convincing endorsement of 68.15 percent votes at the special delegates conference.
Dr. Bawumia also emerged victorious with 61.43% in the November 4, 2023 primaries, securing the party’s nomination for the race to the presidency.