The former General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) , Nana Ohene Ntow has said that calls by Mr. Hamid for Alan Kyeremanteng to contest as an independent candidate for the presidency is divisive.
“That suggestion that Alan should go independent if he thinks he is so popular is most unfortunate, it is quite divisive, does not order well for party unity and should not be entertained,” he emphasized.
Mr Hamid, who is an Aide to Nana Akufo Addo, earlier suggested that if Mr. Kyeremateng thinks he is that popular and Ghanaians want him, he should try standing as an independent candidate for the presidency.
According to Mr. Hamid ”people who are saying they are popular in the whole country, amongst the population but are not popular within the NPP. No doubt its the population that they need to be president and therefore they don’t need the NPP machine; in that sense let Alan Kyeremateng maybe try and run as an independent candidate, because the constitution allows him to run. He doesn’t necessarily has to run on a ticket.”
But speaking on Eyewitness News, Ohene Ntow, who is also a friend to Mr. Kyeremanteng, downplayed Mr. Hamid’s claims, stating emphatically that his claims were not Mr. Akufo-Addo’s position.
“Eventhough I know that Mustapha Hamid is the Spokesperson for Nana Akufo-Addo, I find it very difficult to believe that Nana Akufo-Addo’s position will be that if Alan feels he is so popular with the general public and crossing the party primary barrier is a difficult thing for him, then he should go independent.”
According to him, Mr. Hamid’s assertion was inappropriate since it was indirectly asking Alan Kyeremanteng to leave the party.
By: Marian Efe Ansah/citifmonlinecom/Ghana