Alan Kyeremanten ambushed

The opposition New Patriotic Party’s (NPP’s) October 18 National Delegates congress has taken an interesting twist as sources close to John Alan Kwadwo Keremanteng indicates that there are suggestions for him to be made running-mate to Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the the leading aspirant in the flagbearership race-, as a precondition for him going unopposed.

The Republic newspaper had picked up information that Alan Keyeremanteng’s camp had suggested that condition as a prerequisite for him not to contest Akufo-Addo in the October congress which he believes he can upset the cards for Akufo-Addo who appears to be currently in the lead.

However, party sources tell this newspaper that certain individuals have strongly kicked against the prospect of Alan Kyeremanteng being given a running-mate concession as a pre-condition for him backing out of the October congress on the grounds that he is an Ashanti and cannot be paired with an Akyem flagbearer. Akufo-Addo is a thoroughbred Akyem indigene who chose a Northerner- Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia- as his running-mate for both the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections.

To further deepen the uncertainties surrounding Alan Kyeremanteng’s alleged proposal, Akufo-Addo himself recently revealed that Dr Mahamudu Bawumia will be his running mate for the third time if given the nod to lead the party in the 2016 presidential elections.

Akufo-Addo made the revelation in the Upper West Region where he opened his campaign for the nomination of the opposition NPP’s National Delegates Conference on October 18.

The party holds its National Delegates Conference on October 18 after it recently conducted a super delegates congress composed of approximately 800 people.

The congress held last week Sunday was organised to trim down the number of flagbearer aspirants from seven (7) to the NPP’s constitutionally mandated maximum of five (5) flagbearership aspirants at any given time.

In the congress, Akufo-Addo competed against his closest rival, John Alan Kwadwo Kyeremanteng; Second Deputy Speaker, Joe Ghartey; the MP for Mampong in the Ashanti Region, Francis Addai Nimo, Kofi Osei Ameyaw, the MP for the Asuogyamang constituency in the Eastern Region; former Information Minister, Stephen Asamoah Boateng and former Minister of State, Dr.Kofi Konadu Apraku.

After the contest that saw Akufo-Addo sweeping over 80% of the total votes cast, Dr. Apraku and Mr. Asamoah Boateng who performed abysmally were axed.

Joe Ghartey, one of those who made it through to the five-man shortlist of flagbearer aspirants of the party, promptly threw in the towel, having barely made less than 2 percent of the total votes cast.

The others are determined to contest the big scene where over 141,000 delegates will pick a final flagbearer of the party in October.

After the Super Delegates congress, intense pressure was mounted on the other aspirants by party members to leave the race to Akufo-Addo to go unopposed, following their disastrous showing on Sunday.

This paper can confirm that loyalists of the Akufo-Addo are at the forefront of this campaign for an unopposed NPP flagbearer.