By Benjamin A. Commey
Accra, May 31, GNA – About fifty market queens from Kumasi in the Ashanti Region Wednesday thronged the New Patriotic Party’s Office at Asylum Down in Accra to pick Up a presidential nomination form for John Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen.
Mr Kyerematen, a former Minister of Trade and Industry, is seeking to lead the NPP as the flag bearer after three previous failed attempts.
The market queens, led by Nana Serwaa, the Market Queen of tomato traders in Kumasi, picked up the form on behalf of the former Trade Minister after paying the GH¢50,000 nomination fee.
They were accompanied by some leading members of the Party, including Mr Ayikoi Otoo, a former Attorney General, Mr Yaw Buaben Asamoah and Mr Ohene Ntow.
Speaking to the media after picking up the form, Mr Asamoa, a former Communications Director of the NPP, described Mr Kyerematen as a man of integrity, adding that, with him, the presidency was “on a serious path to the right place”.
“This is a man you can take to the bank, his word is as good as his contract. He has served the people diligently and you can’t find anything wrong with his character, his competence or his credibility,” he eulogised.
Mr Asamoa said Mr Kyerematen was the only one who could transform the economy.
He added that, with him in charge, the country would build a “$60 billion economy” based on value addition and industrialisation.
“He (Alan Kyerematen) has proven it. He is not promising, he’s proven it, he is going to do it. He his a man of action,” he said.
The NPP, on Friday, May 26, opened nominations for the election of its presidential candidates for the 2024 general election.
The one-month exercise, which is expected to end on June 24, 2023, kick-starts the processes for the final leg of the Party’s internal elections to elect a presidential candidate for the 2024 general election.
The NPP has set Saturday, November 4, 2023, as the date for its presidential primaries to elect a flag bearer for the general election.
However, if more than five candidates file to run in the primaries, the Party will call a Special Congress on August 26.
Mr Kyerematen is one of the eight aspirants who have so far picked up the nomination forms to contest the Party’s presidential primaries.
Already, Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, Mr Boakye Kyeremateng Agyarko, a former Energy Minister, Mr Kwabena Agyei Agyapong, a former General Secretary of the NPP and Mr Francis Addai-Nimo, a former Member of Parliament for Mampong, have all picked forms to contest the flag bearer slot of the Party.
The rest are Dr Kofi Konadu Apraku, an Economist cum corporate executive, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, a former Minister of Food and Agriculture and Mr Kwadwo Poku, an Energy Expert.
GNA