Members of the ‘North For Alan’, a group affiliated to Trade Minister Alan Kyerematen, have registered what they call their strongest protest at the selective application of party rules and sanctions ahead of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearership race.
The group called on the regional and national leadership of the party to create an even playing field for all interested party members.
“Unity and fairness to all is what will guarantee the NPP a chance to Break the 8, not selective application of the rules as is happening now.
“We wish to state categorically that if some people have the right to declare support for the Vice President and other aspirants, then we who believe that the leadership of Hon Alan John Kyerematen also have an equal right to express our preference without any fear. The NPP is a Democratic Party that believes in and upholds alternative views, tolerance and choice based on free will.
“We will vehemently resist all attempts to suppress , victimize and intimidate patriots who show support for Hon Alan Kyerematen.
“It is crystal clear the overwhelming masses of the NPP is poised and eagerly ready to give the mandate of this party to Hon Alan Kyerematen and Insha Allah, NOTHING can stop that.
“We thank you for honoring our invitation in this short notice,” a press statement they issued on Wednesday January 5 after a addressing the press said.
Below is their full statement…
NORTH FOR ALAN
PROTEST AT SELECTIVE APPLICATION OF PARTY RULES
Ladies and gentlemen of the media, welcome to this morning’s conference. We really appreciate your response to our invitation.
We have called you today to express our profound concern about certain developments in our party, the New Patriotic Party, which we believe if not discussed publicly and dealt with, will jeopardize the Party’s chances of uniting for victory ahead of the 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections.
Sometime last year, the General Secretary of the party Mr. John Boadu, announced Rules and Regulations to govern the conduct of would-be aspirants to various executive positions in the party. The Rules and Regulations were also to check the conduct of the supporters of such would-be aspirants, especially those aspiring to the Flagbearership of the party.
Among the key directives were that:
1. No party official shall declare public support for any aspirant ahead of the official opening of nominations;
2. That no paraphernalia promoting or advertising any aspirant should be displayed publicly ahead of the opening of nominations.
Since the announcement, a number of high ranking members of the Party have openly declared support for the Vice President who, together with his supporters, have left nobody in doubt that he is interested in contesting the NPP Flagbearership. Notable among these party officials are a Deputy General Secretary of the party, Mr Obiri Boahen, the Northern Regional Executives led by chairman Samba, the first Vice regional chairman of Ashanti, Mr. Kwabena Nsenkyire, the Member of Parliament for Karaga Hon Amin Anta, the Member of parliament for Tolon Hon Habib Iddrisu and Hon Farouk Mahama, MP for Yendi and some others.
These actions are clearly in violation of the Party’s rules.
Especially because of the bigotry associated with their declaration.
The concerns we are raising today ladies and gentlemen, are in respect of the fact that these and other regulations are not just being violated by some very high ranking members of the party with impunity; Our major concern is that when some party members attempt to resist these violations of party rules as happened in Savelugu during the Constituency Conference last year, the officers who try to defend the Party’s rules are rather victimized, ostensibly because they are known supporters of Hon Alan Kyerematen, the Trade and Industry Minister, who is also widely known to be in contention for the Party’s 2024 Flagbearer position.
Indeed, at the last National Delegates conference of the party in Kumasi, no less a person than the Vice President himself stood in flagrant breach of the aforementioned rules and regulations when he arrived at the conference grounds with supporters wearing his branded T-shirts and banners announcing his campaign for the Flagbearership.
Meanwhile, party members who also show support for Hon Alan Kyerematen are treated like criminals who have to be chased out of the party.
We hereby register our strongest protest at this selective application of party rules and sanctions, and call on the regional and National leadership of the party to create an even playing field for all interested party members.
Unity and fairness to all is what will guarantee the NPP a chance to Break the 8, not selective application of the rules as is happening now.
We wish to state categorically that if some people have the right to declare support for the Vice President and other aspirants, then we who believe that the leadership of Hon Alan John Kyerematen also have an equal right to express our preference without any fear. The NPP is a Democratic Party that believes in and upholds alternative views, tolerance and choice based on free will.
We will vehemently resist all attempts to suppress , victimize and intimidate patriots who show support for Hon Alan Kyerematen.
It is crystal clear the overwhelming masses of the NPP is poised and eagerly ready to give the mandate of this party to Hon Alan Kyerematen and Insha Allah, NOTHING can stop that.
We thank you for honoring our invitation in this short notice.
Long live the NPP
Long live Ghana
By Laud Nartey|3news.com|Ghana