Former Trade Minister and former presidential hopeful of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Alan Kyerematen has shed light on a pivotal moment in his political career, revealing that in 2007, former President John Agyekum Kufuor made it clear that he would not support Alan’s bid for the party’s flagbearership.
Alan Kyerematen made this revelation in an interview with Bernard Avle, the General Manager of Citi News, on Tuesday, September 26, 2023. He was responding to a question about whether he was a favourite of Kufuor, who appointed him as an ambassador and a trade minister.
Mr. Kyerematen said that he informed President Kufuor of his intention to contest for the NPP flagbearership in 2007, but he was advised to wait and focus on his work as the Trade Minister.
“In 2005, all the people who eventually contested, they had started doing underground moves and operations. I had made up my mind at that time, post-2004, 2005, that I would contest. When I went to him to inform him that I have an interest and that my other colleagues have started moves under cover, if he sees that I’m also operating, he should not be surprised about that. His advice to me was, ‘Wait, do your work. If people feel that you are the right person, they themselves would promote you,” he said.
Alan respected this counsel but returned three months later when he observed open campaigning by others. “I said, ‘Big brother, people are campaigning openly, so I want to serve you notice that I’ll be going.’ What he said is that, ‘Well, I cannot stop you, but I want to tell you that I will not support you.'”
Mr Kyerematen however noted that, former president Agyekum Kufuor did not work against any of the candidates, and that it was unfair for people to create the impression that he favoured him[Alan] over others.
On the contrary, he said that President Kufuor was neutral and impartial in the process, and that he would have been happy with any of the four candidates winning the flagbearership.
“[President Kufuor] said, if there are any people that I will support, there are four people: Nana Akufo-Addo – he was the first person he mentioned, Aliu Mahama, Papa Owusu Ankomah and then yourself. Any of you, if you win, bless my soul. I’ll be happy.’ So, it was on that basis that we all carried on,” Alan told Bernard Avle.
Disputing claims that he was the favourite, Alan emphasised that President Kufuor did not work against any of the candidates. “It is unfair to President Kufuor for people to have, or are now creating, the impression that because I was a favourite, he did all in his power to, as it were, install me as a heir apparent. It is totally untrue that he was working against any of these candidates,” Alan affirmed.