UTAG-UG President, Professor Ransford Gyampo, has advised the former Minister for Trade and Industry, Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen to form his own party after withdrawing from the New Patriotic Party's presidential candidate race.

According to the UTAG-UG President, Mr Kyerematen enjoys some goodwill from Ghanaians and thus can become a force to reckon with in the next general elections.

The political scientist said Mr Kyerematen, after the party's formation, can let someone else become its flagbearer if he wants to.

Contributing to a panel discussion on Citi TV on Wednesday, September 6, Prof Gyampo insisted that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) must also address the concerns raised by Mr Kyerematen.

“Where he goes from here depends on him, I think he can choose from four scenarios. If you look at his statement, he creates an impression that he’s focused on the bigger picture. He thinks that he has an appeal to the people of Ghana, so if he’s not going to get the vehicle of NPP through which he could appeal to Ghanaians, then, he may want to go and appeal to Ghanaians in whatever capacity.

"He can decide to remain in the party, he has not announced that he has broken away from the party. He can also decide to team up with other aspirants to present a certain formidable candidate, either led by himself or by other people. Or he can decide to go as an independent candidate, or he can decide to form his own political party and see if he can be a force to reckon with. If he also decides to form his own party, then he will still be a force to reckon with,” he suggested.

Alan Kyerematen on Tuesday, September 5, announced his withdrawal from the NPP’s flagbearer race citing several reasons.

He mentioned intimidation, and violence against a member of his campaign team and claimed that the party strategically organised the super delegates conference to favour one candidate over the others as some of the reasons for his decision.

Mr Kyerematen stated that pronouncements made by some leading members of the party before and after the elections lend weight to his observations.

“After having carefully analysed the results of the said elections, it is absolutely clear to me from events leading to, during and after the elections, that the Special Delegates Conference was strategically and tactically skewed in favour of one particular aspirant.”

• NPP Primaries: Party accepts Alan’s withdrawal; says probe ongoing into issues raised

“The level of intimidation of varying intensity, directly and indirectly, unleashed on a significant number of Delegates at various Voting Centers across the sixteen regions, is unprecedented in the history of our Party,” parts of the statement read.

However, following this, Prof Gyampo predicted that more candidates would soon withdraw from the presidential primaries.

• NPP Primaries: There will be more withdrawals – Prof Gyampo

According to the political scientist, the processes for the exercise have not been managed well in the interest of the party.

“I warned that if things aren’t done fairly, there could be a breakup. I also warned about the public comments of those expected to be seen as neutral arbiters. There will be more pull-outs. This isn’t the NPP BJ da Rocha and others led.”