Dr. Lawrence Appiah, founder of Diaspora Progressive Movement based in the USA has blamed NPP flag-bearer aspirant, Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen’s dwindling fortunes in the race for the party’s leadership on his failure to take steps to consolidate his chances after the 2007 contest.
According Dr. Appiah, Mr. Alan Kyerematen had greater prospects of leading the NPP when he contested the party’s presidential primary in 2007.
However, after conceding to Nana Addo in that primary, the former Trades Minister, Dr. Appiah stated, was misled to believe that he would be made flag-bearer when he (Nana Addo) steps down and thus, failed to take any concrete action to secure his bid to lead the party in the future.
This, he believes, is the root of Mr. Kyerematen’s woes in his quest to become flag-bearer of the NPP.
“He relied on what Nana Addo told him in 2007 and thought Nana Addo was his friend and will keep to his declaration. Alan was running around the country like the next automatic flag bearer of the NPP. He was misled way back in 2007”.
In his view, the former Trades Minister would not have found himself in his current predicament if he had entered a written agreement, binding the president to hand over the position to him when he is stepping down or if he had demanded to be made his running mate after the contest in 2007.
“Alan’s opportunity of becoming President in 2008 or 2025 was in 2007 when he competed with Nana Addo and conceded to him. Knowing who Nana Addo is, he, Alan should have let Nana Addo sign the declaration, when he declared that Alan was the one to follow him in line for the flag bearer of the NPP, when he, Nana Addo leaves the Jubilee House”.
He added, “Another thing Alan could have done was to force the Elders of the party at that event to let him be the running mate to Nana Addo in the 2008 race. This would have made him almost, the automatic flag bearer of the party. He wouldn’t be struggling to get less than 100 votes from the super delegates”.
Dr. Appiah also faulted Mr. Kyerematen’s decision to serve in the Akufo-Addo government, arguing that he should have stayed off and focus on his presidential ambition.
Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen contested the NPP flagbearership on 3 different occasions but lost in all, placing second to Nana Addo.
Many had tipped him to succeed Mr. Akufo-Addo as the party’s leader.
However, his poor showing in the just ended Super Delegates Conference of the NPP, political watchers say, is an indication that he is losing grounds in the party.
For Dr. Appiah, “At the moment, the political career of Alan is almost over unless a serious miracle happens on November 4”.
