Member of Parliament for Suame Constituency, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, has revealed that he initially supported former Trade Minister, Alan Kyerematen as the ideal running mate for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.
He stated that, he foresaw Dr. Bawumia winning the NPP’s 2023 presidential primaries and believed that Alan Kyerematen would have been the perfect choice to join Bawumia on the ticket.
He expressed his surprise at Mr. Kyerematen’s decision to leave the NPP and form the Movement for Change and contest the December polls as an independent candidate.
He shared that since 2021, he had been advocating for Mr. Kyerematen’s inclusion in the NPP’s leadership without the need for a contested presidential primary.
“Most of the party leaders are aware that since 2021, I have been vouching for Alan, and I believed we could build a consensus within the party without any internal elections. I saw how things were going, and it was clear to me that Bawumia would ultimately win, and the person I had in mind to complement him was Alan Kyerematen,” he said in an interview on Neat FM on August 15, 2024.
He added, “I never imagined Alan leaving the party. I wanted them [Bawumia and Kyerematen] to move forward together for the unity of the NPP.”
Mr. Kyerematen’s departure from the NPP has shocked many within the party.
He has since formed the Movement for Change to contest the 2024 elections as an independent candidate.
In the wake of his exit, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh has been appointed as Bawumia’s running mate as the NPP gears up for the upcoming general elections.
