Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen
NPP presidential aspirant hopeful, Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, has strongly condemned the attack on Ali Zakaria, the North East Regional Coordinator for the ‘Alan for President’ campaign team at Nalerigu, the regional capital.
Mr. Kyerematen, who has had Mr. Zakaria flown down for treatment in Accra, expressed his disgust over the incidence while visiting him at the clinic.
An obviously worried Kyerematen bemoaned the fact that such acts of violence are alien to the party and fly in the face of the principles of fairness and tolerance, which had been the attraction of the party over the years.
He said “we all joined the NPP because of the commitment to the rich values of the party that has sustained it over the years. But when we cannot conduct ourselves properly as a family in a limited elections of less than 1,000 people, how do we hope to conduct a free and fair elections in one that involves 200,000 plus delegates when we go to choose a leader in November, 2024”.
Mr. Kyerematen called for a thorough investigation into the incident by the party hierarchy, and asked that no attempt should be made to try and sweep it under the carpet as that would not be tolerated.
Last Saturday, known faces within the camp of Vice President Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, violated the voting rules of the Super Delegates Conference in Nalerigu, which led to disturbances and the beating up of Mr. Zakaria.
The voters, who openly showed their secret ballots to the crowd after voting, in total disregard to laid down party rules, descended on Mr. Zakaria when he questioned them on the appropriateness of their action.
His question appeared to have infuriated some delegates and members of Vice President Dr. Bawumia’s team, who subjected him to beating, leading to a swollen face and puffed eyes.
“Known forces within the camp of Bawumia voted and showed their secret ballots to the crowd, and when I asked them why they were doing that they started beating me. They are known faces within Nalerigu and North East as a well and are all affiliated to the camp was of Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia,” Mr. Ali Zakaria said.