For contesting for the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) since 2007, and the culture of the NPP as party members have accepted as a convention, John Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen should have taken over after President Addo Dankwa Akufo-Adddo.
However, in an upcoming primary going to be keenly contested between three persons, political analysts are predicting that Alan Kyerematen will not perform better than any of the two remaining top candidates contesting him.
The popular assertion of the masses has held that, Mr. Kyerematen was going to be fiercely contested by Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, with the Chairman of Parliament’s Defence and Interior Committee, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong following suit.
But the dynamics appears to be changing with the upcoming primary per surveys from some connoisseurs of the game.
According to Prof. Smart Sarpong of the Kumasi Technical University (KTU), even though Alan Kyerematen will likely place second in the party’s super delegates conference which comes off tomorrow, Saturday, August 26, 2023, candidate Kennedy Agyapong will perform better than him in the November 4 exercise.
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The Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Social Science Research at the KTU speaking ahead of the super delegates conference of the NPP Thursday, August 24, on ‘Pae Mu Ka’ with Yaa Titi Okrah on Onua FM/TV, he said Ken Agyapong’s popularity within the NPP and among the delegates has surpassed Mr. Kyerematen, due to two key reasons.
He explains Alan Kyerematen’s inability to get to Parliament has affected his popularity, aside from his relatively inadequate relation with the grassroots compared to the Assin Central Member of Parliament.
“What has helped Ken is that, he reminds them [NPP people] of what he has been able to do for them over the years; his past records and he has that than Alan. He has also been consistent with the grassroots. Even though Alan is with them, Ken has been more consistent,” he explained.
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For his part, pollster Ben Ephson says he will be surprised if Alan Kyerematen tops Ken Agyapong on November 4 per his research.
He says the delegates who are 30 years and below were barely 15 years when Alan was the second most popular person in the NPP back in 2007. For that reason, he can place second in the super delegates conference because majority of that college belong to the old school who know Alan Kyerematen. But at the general primary in November where the young delegates come in, Ken Agyapong will triumph over Alan.
