Alan Kyerematen has publicly and continually spoken of himself as a choice of “floating voters”. The danger of such crucial pronouncements backed by no or less data/ evidence can be very misleading and disturbing to a political party’s chances.
Undoubtedly, Mr Alan has some popularity within the NPP and has enjoyed a lucky perception as emerging from the Kufuor faction. What is the Kufuor faction? Is it because Alan’s shot to fame in Ghanaian politics merely occurred at a time President Kufuor was President of Ghana?
Suffice to say that there’s a Kufuor faction, it therefore suggests that he has been given three (3) time electoral chances to lead the supposed Kufuor factions front, however, he has failed in a row to live up to expectation since 2007. Realistically, if Mr Alan is a representation of the Kufuor faction, it means that Alan has been preserved with such a chance for an enviable 16 years. So much for a “darling” of the Kufuor faction. How has Mr Alan performed so far in the three (3) consecutive times he has put himself up to contest flagbearer of the NPP?
Admittedly, in the 2007 Presidential primaries of the NPP, Mr Alan put up a very good performance with a little above 30% votes. Contrast to 2010 and 2014, we saw both Nana Akufo-Addo and Dr Mahamudu Bawumia pleading with delegates across the country to re-elect the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia ticket. Indeed the 2010 Presidential primaries recorded a massive endorsement of 83,517 votes representing 78.89% in favour of Nana Akufo-Addo/Bawumia ticket as against Alan’s 21,226 votes representing 19%.
As recently as 2014, the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia ticket won by a huge 117,413 votes representing 94.35% as against Alan gaining 5,908 votes which represents 4.75% of the total vote cast. It is instructive to note that this is not a record of the General election but that of the NPP Presidential primaries. Therefore the “floating voters appeal” claims peddled by the Alan team which was not bought by delegates in all the Presidential elections he contested by all standards was and remains an imaginary tale. Expectedly, coming into 2022/2023 Presidential primaries, fiercest loyalists of Mr Alan Kyeremanten in gross dislike for data and hard facts, have again adopted a similar imaginary queuing theory, and some very strange clichés.
Conversely, if Mr Alan is again seeking to carry his political fortunes on the back of the “Kufuor faction” that means he is being credited with a 20-year slate by the supposed ‘Kufuor faction’. To preserve such an enviable position for 20 years for one man after having squandered 3 opportunities is disingenuous to other potentials from the supposed ‘Kufuor faction’. Wow! Is the NPP ready to suffer the same fate in the unlikely event that Alan Kyerematen is made its flagbearer?
Alan Kyerematen should be treated as having assumed responsibility for the Kufuor faction. If so, has he been able to discharge the duty imposed on him so far?
Considering the performances of President Kufuor, in 1992 he pulled 16.5%; improved on it in 1996 to 51.99%; then again, an improvement in 1998 to 64.6% of the delegates votes in the various Presidential primaries. It is clear from this fact that Mr Alan Kyerematen falls short of what the “Kufuor faction” is known for- victory unto victory over consistent defeats demonstrated by his own records.
To properly situate the “appeal” of Alan Kyerematen, his electoral record in his own constituency, Ayawaso West Wuogon, and that of his ‘kitchen cabinet’ must be analysed objectively.
In the 2014 Presidential primaries while the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia ticket pulled a huge 505 votes making 90.02%, Mr Alan struggled to pull 56 votes representing 9.98% in his own backyard and constituency, that is, Ayawaso West Wuogon constituency. Arguably, in proving the “appeal” of Alan Kyerematen, one also should look out for his performance at the constituency of his campaign manager in 2014, Mr Kofi Dzamesi, who happened to be a former Volta Regional Minister, a Parliamentary Candidate, and a towering figure in his home constituency Ketu North. This can be affirmed amongst others by how in 2004 parliamentary primaries, Mr Dzamesi was given a popular acclamation by delegates of the NPP. Despite these attributes, the Akufo Addo/Bawumia ticket won massively by 207 votes representing 61.35% as against Alan Kyerematen who had 167 votes which represents 37.53% of the votes. Considering that Mr Kofi Dzamesi again went into the 2020 primaries as an unopposed candidate in his constituency confirms his likability by NPP members in his constituency, however, this attribute couldn’t have done any magic for Alan Kyerematen at Ketu North.
It is obvious from the facts that Alan Kyerematen is a ‘declining candidate’ who can’t bring much to the NPPs electoral fortunes. His electoral misfortunes within the NPP will be a reflection of what will happen at the general elections if mistakenly elected.
Dear NPP members and delegates, shine your eyes, don’t disappoint the NPP.
By Kwame Osei Kufuor
Apagya fie
Kumasi. kkuf1972@gmail.com
Source: Daily Mail GH
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