Former Chairman of the National Democratic Congress in the Central Region, Bernard Jacobs Allotey, has noted that but for his name, Mr Alan Kyerematen would not have garnered any votes in the New Patriotic Party’s Super Delegates Conference.
He made this statement during an interview with Kwame Sefa Kayi on Peace FM’s Kokrokoo Show.
Bernard Jacobs Allotey noted that the few people within the NPP who recall the former Trade Minister due to his previous efforts to become flagbearer were those who decided to cast their ballot for him.
“First and foremost, Alan won by 95 votes, which couldn’t give him the total victory to lead in the Super Delegates, because of the name Alan Kyerematen.
It is something that he should know. Within the cluster of voters, some liked him, so they voted for him,” he said.
According to Mr Jacobs Allotey, he would have preferred that Mr Kyerematen resign before the Super Delegates Conference.
“I said it here last week that it would have been better for him to resign, step aside,” he stated.
Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia won the super delegates conference held on August 26, with a total of 629 votes, representing 68.15% of the total valid votes.
Assin Central MP Kennedy Agyapong came in second with 132 votes, or 14.30% while former Trade Minister Alan Kyerematen placed third with 95 votes, or 10.29%.
Following the conference, Mr Alan Kyerematen announced his withdrawal from the presidential candidate race, citing his abysmal performance among other reasons for his decision.
“After having carefully analysed the results of the said elections, it is absolutely clear to me from events leading to, during and after the elections, that the Special Delegates Conference was strategically and tactically skewed in favour of one particular Aspirant. The pronouncements made by some leading Members of our Party both before and after the elections, also lend weight to my observations,” he wrote.
Mr Alan Kyerematen further accused the party of allowing the “level of intimidation of varying intensity, directly and indirectly unleashed on a significant number of Delegates at various Voting Centers across the sixteen regions.”
This, he said, is unprecedented in the history of the NPP.
“In addition, the fact that my Polling Agent in the North East region has suffered severe damage to his eye sight, arising from his bold and courageous effort to ensure compliance with the very rules and regulations for the conduct of the elections as approved by the Presidential Elections Committee, will forever remain a dark spot in the history of internal elections within the Party.
This incident and various acts of violence and collusion, reported in other Voting Centers, are appalling, unconscionable, and despicable,” he added.
Mr Kyerematen is of the assertion that the path allegedly taken by the party is one that would lead to “self-destruction.”
He is of the opinion that the challenges raised will be “escalated in the next round of elections, for which balloting is scheduled for Wednesday, 6th of September 2023.”