The decision of former New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential hopeful, Alan Kyerematen, to leave the party and run as an independent candidate in the 2024 elections has sparked a sharp rebuke from Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NPP.

In a recent interview on Wontumi TV, on Monday, September 25, 2023, Chairman Wontumi accused Alan of ingratitude, reminding him of the opportunities he enjoyed within the party.

Wontumi pointed out that it was President Kufuor who appointed Alan Kyerematen as an ambassador, a position that brought him immense happiness and benefits. "You, your girlfriends, your wife, and your children enjoyed it so much," Wontumi remarked in his interview, alluding to the privileges Alan and his family had during his tenure as an ambassador.

“President Kufuor made you an ambassador. When you got that, you were happy. You, your girlfriends, your friends. Alan Kyerematen, you and your girlfriends. Do you share your girlfriends with me? You and your girls and your friends were having fun, together with your wife and kids, attending good schools. President Kufuor also made you trade minister and because of this, you became so rich that you were nick-named Alan Cash,” he said in the Twi dialect.

He added that Alan’s decision to leave the NPP was a curse to him and that he would regret it in the future.

“As for me, I think this resignation is a curse to him because the NPP has helped him. Look at how the party has helped you. If everyone in the NPP got what you have gotten from the party, none of them would complain of being mistreated,” he said.Chairman Wontumi’s comments follow Alan Kyerematen's held a press conference in Accra on Monday to announce his resignation from the NPP and his intention to run for president as an independent candidate in 2024.

He lamented the transformation of the NPP, stating that it no longer resembled the party he had joined in 1992 and helped nurture. Alan claimed that the party had been taken over by a select group of leaders, government appointees, and "behind the curtain power brokers."

"The NPP as it exists now has very little resemblance to the Party that I joined in 1992 and helped to nurture. The Party has been hijacked by a selected group of Party leaders and elders, government appointees, behind the curtain power brokers and some unscrupulous party apparatchiks.

“… I wish to use this platform to announce that I am honourably resigning 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 said.

In his bid for the presidency, Alan revealed his plans to establish a new movement called "Movement for Change in Ghana," symbolized by the Monarch Butterfly. He declared that this movement would be driven by the youth of Ghana, representing hope, positivity, and the desire for transformation.He added: "To actualise this goal, I will establish and lead a new MOVEMENT FOR CHANGE in Ghana. The brand logo for the MOVEMENT is the Monarch Butterfly, which politically symbolizes change and transformation, hope, and positivity. It also communicates strength, endurance, spirituality, and trust, which are key traits that I cherish as a Political Leader. The new Movement will be led and powered by the youth of Ghana. Out of the over 17 million registered voters in the 2020 general election, the youth aged 18-35 years constituted over 9.4 million voters representing 55% of the total voters,” he said.

Alan Kyerematen concluded, "The brand motto of the MOVEMENT is 'Ghana Will Rise Again,' which symbolizes hope for the future of Ghana." He expressed his commitment to lead this movement and pursue his presidential ambition outside the NPP.

Alan Kyerematen is a seasoned economist and politician who has served in various capacities under different governments. He was Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States from 2001 to 2003, Minister of Trade and Industry from 2003 to 2007, Senior Ministerial Adviser on Trade under President Nana Akufo-Addo from 2017 to 2021, and Minister of Trade and Industry from 2021 to 2023.

He has also contested for the NPP’s presidential nomination three times: in 2007, 2014, and 2018, but lost to Nana Akufo-Addo on each occasion.

His decision to leave the NPP has sparked mixed reactions among party members and supporters. Some have expressed disappointment and anger at his move, while others have wished him well and pledged their support for his presidential bid.