Former Minister for Trade and Industry, Alan John Kwadwo Kyerematen on Monday, September 25, 2023, announced that he will run as an independent candidate in the upcoming 2024 general elections.
Mr. Kyerematen who placed third in the New Patriotic Party’s super delegate congress decided to withdraw from the flagbearer race indicating that, party leaders were biased towards a particular candidate.
Announcing his plans for the future at a press conference in Accra, Mr. Kyerematen noted that, it is time to bring change and as an individual, he has brought change to every position he has held in the past.
Mr. Kyerematen noted that, “after analyzing results for the Super delegate congress and under the circumstances given the context provided, I wish to use this platform to announce that I am honourably resigning with immediate effect from the New Patriotic Party to contest for the high office of the President of the Republic of Ghana in the 2024 General Elections, as an Independent Presidential Candidate.”
He stated that his decision to run as an independent candidate was driven by his belief that this approach would enable him to better serve the interests of the Ghanaian people, especially the youth and bring a positive change.
Furthermore, Mr. Kyerematen added that Ghana needs a new leader who is capable of bringing change and not a new political party hence voting for him as an Independent candidate is voting for change and therefore called on other smaller political party’s to join his “Movement For Change”.
Kyerematen was Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States and later Minister of Trade and Industry, Private Sector Development (PSD) and Presidential Special Initiatives (PSI) during Former President John Agyekum Kuffuor’s tenure of office.
Mr. Kyerematen served as a trade advisor at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where he coordinated the African Trade Policy Centre (ATPC).
He made an attempt at the leadership of the New Patriotic Party in 2007, capturing 32.3% of the votes cast.
He was first runner-up to Nana Akufo-Addo who gained 47.96% of votes cast. Mr. Kyerematen made other attempts at the party’s leadership in 2010 and 2014 but placed second to Akufo-Addo, who won the primaries.
In 2012, Ghana nominated Kyerematen for the post of WTO director-general to succeed out-going Director-General Pascal Lamy, and his candidature received the backing of the African Union (AU).
