The former General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), John Boadu, has disclosed that it took the party approximately three months of efforts to persuade Alan Kyerematen, an ex-member of the party, to rejoin after his initial resignation in 2008.In 2007, Mr. Kyerematen vied for the party's flagbearer position, competing against 16 other candidates, including the current President, Nana Akufo-Addo.

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Akufo-Addo emerged as the top candidate, while Mr. Kyerematen came in second place. As per the party's electoral process rules, the two were slated for a second-round ballot.However, Mr. Kyerematen chose not to contest, allowing Akufo-Addo to be selected as the NPP's flagbearer for the 2008 general elections. Speaking to the media on Monday, September 25, 2023, Mr.

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Kyerematen revealed that he returned to the party after a committee was established to reconcile the differences between him and the party."I made my landmark declaration that, to avoid a further deterioration of peace in an already divided Party, I would make the supreme political sacrifice not to contest the run-off but rather support Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to contest as the flagbearer for NPP in the 2008 general elections.

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"Despite the sacrifice that I made to unite the Party as referred to above, there were very serious post-primary attacks on my supporters all over the country, and an open show of hostility. Some of my supporters were victims of brutalities and continue to bear the scars of that treatment.

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I made several representations to the then leadership of the Party, drawing their attention to the rancorous and divisive behaviour of some elements in the Party."Regrettably, however, my representations went unheeded. As a consequence, I gave notice of my decision to resign from the Party, in protest against the blatant alienation of my supporters, orchestrated by elements aligned to the leadership of the Party.

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"The protests and reactions from the rank and file of the Party at that time from all over the country, compelled the then Chairman of the Party to constitute a Reconciliation Committee chaired by the then immediate past Chairman of the Party, Ambassador Samuel Odoi Sykes.

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The Committee upheld all my submissions and prevailed upon me to rescind my decision to resign, which I did, with the firm promise to address all the contentious issues I had raised in my notice of resignation," he added.But providing more details into what transpired, Mr Boadu who was speaking to the media, noted that three months spent trying to persuade Mr.

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Kyerematen to return to the party could have been utilized for productive initiatives."We felt that things were okay till he put in his resignation and all the things that has to be done was done. It wasted our time for almost 3 months. I remember back and forth here today, he is back tomorrow he is not and all that," he added.He also explained that allowing Mr.

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Kyerematen to leave the party at that time would not have been the best course of action.However, he added that it would have been challenging to gather a quorum, and even if a quorum was achieved, it might not have been sufficient to determine the election's outcome. Therefore, considering these factors, Mr. Kyerematen's concession and agreement to allow the current president to run unopposed were crucial.

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Mr Kyerematen's concession, he said, there would have been a need to postpone the elections and conduct them at a later time."So it will have been difficult to congregate and get a quorum and even if you get the quorum, will that quorum be enough to be able to determine who wins the election. So taking all those things into consideration for him to have conceded because if he had

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not conceded or have not agreed to get his excellency the president to go unopposed or something, we may have postponed the elections and do it another time. So it was a good gesture that all of us acknowledged," he stated.The former presidential aspirant for the NPP , announced his resignation from the ruling party on Monday, September 25, 2023.

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Mr Kyerematen announced his decision when he addressed the country during a press conference at the Movenpick Ambassador Hotel in Accra.He noted that he no longer recognises the NPP, which has been unfair to himself and his supporters, as its current aims and agenda no longer reflect what the founding fathers had hoped to achieve.

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