In the year 1996, a total of 1,996 delegates voted. John Agyekum Kufour won with 1,034 votes representing 51.99 percent. Professor Albert Adu Boahen failed in his attempt to lead the party again when he secured 710 votes representing 35.70 percent.
He beat Nana Akufu Addo, Dr. Kofi Konadu Apreku, J.H Mensah and Malik Alhassan Yakubu and as predicted, won power for the Danquah-Busia-Dombo tradition after 30 years in the political wilderness.
In 2007, the NPP needed a replacement for Mr. Kufour who was stepping down after two terms in office. 17 senior government officials as well as senior cabinet ministers expressed interest. It was the largest number of aspirants for a political party in Ghana.
Why the massive interest?-President Kufour had laid a solid foundation for an easy win.
Nana Addo failed to secure victory for the NPP in the 2008 election. After introspection, the party decided to expand its electoral college to include polling station executives as against the previous years where only constituency, Regional and National Executives who could vote at congresses.
At the Trade Fair Center in Accra where the event was held, the NPP said it was going to “reflect, re-strategize and re-capture.”
For the first time in the history of the party, polling station executives had a say in who leads the party during election.
In 2010 five aspirants put forward their names to lead the NPP to recapture power.
The rivalry between Nana Akufu Addo and Alan Kyeremateng was resurrected. A spill over from the 2007 Legon congress.
After voting, Nana Addo obtained 78 percent of total votes cast while Mr. Kyeremateng had 19 percent. A vote decline of 13 percent in the 2007 congress.
On August 31, Nana Addo obtained 80 percent of votes cast (super delegates congress to reduce number of aspirants). Mr. Kyeremateng had 7 percent. “Unbelievable, surprising and Shocking” the words of former General Secretary of the party Nana Ohene Ntow and Spokesperson to Alan Kyeremateng after the final results.
After this “monumental” defeat Mr. Kyeremateng launched his campaign for the second hurdle. This time round with a promise to give party delegates motor bikes and other logistics if elected.
Delegates were going to give Mr. Kyeremateng further headaches; just given him 4 percent out total vote cast was unbelieving, surprising and shocking (borrowing the words of Nana Ohene Ntwo).
Mr. Kyeremateng has never beaten Nana Addo in any internal election, since 2007. In Legon Nana Addo had 47 percent, Alan had 32 percent.
After the 2007 congress, Mr. Kyermenteng wrote a two paged letter announcing his resignation from the NPP. His reason? Many of his supporters were been victimized.
A high profile meeting chaired by former President with party Chairman then Peter Mac Manu and General Secretary Nana Ohene Ntow was called to investigate Mr. Kyeremanteng’s allegation.
By that single act it made him more unpopular, he was seen as a betrayer and not loyal. It was an issue he had to explain over and over again at every media encounter.
Another issue that may have affected Alan Kyerementeng’s popularity in the NPP is his inactiveness after every internal elections.
He goes to hide as a party member once told me. In 2007 after the congress Nana Akufu Addo appointed him as Chairman of a Committee that needed to court the support of Identifiable Groups in the country. Many say he was not visible enough with task.
Some of the party faithfuls were clearly not happy about the situation, but the questions on the lips of many are- what is the political future of Alan Cash? Will he run again in future? Will he quit politics?, Will he still harbor his Presidential ambition? Will he become irrelevant in the NPP?
Will Alan have saved his face if he listened to calls for him to step down for the man he described as his “friend and senior brother.”
May be Mr. Kyeremanteng will console himself with the famous words of George E. Woodberry, American literary critic and poet “Defeat is not the worst of failures. Not to have tried is the true failure.’’
But l believe its time for Mr. Kyeremateng to say good bye to NPP internal politicking. Or better still his dreams of being a flagbearer of the party.