Alan Kyerematen accuses NPP leadership of arrogance, says party has been hijacked
United Party (UP) founder Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen has accused the New Patriotic Party (NPP) leadership of arrogance, saying they have lost touch with the party’s grassroots base.
In an interview on TV3’s New Day, Friday, October 17, 2025, the former Trade and Industry Minister claimed the NPP’s current leadership has “hijacked the party” and no longer represents the values and spirit that once united its members.
“My problem has never been with the rank and file of the party. It has always been with the leadership. The party has been hijacked,” Mr. Kyerematen declared.
He described as “presumptuous and meaningless” a recent move by the NPP to grant amnesty to members who left the party, including himself and other key figures from the Movement for Change.
“That was probably the most presumptuous statement ever made. I left the NPP on my own accord. You cannot grant amnesty to someone who has not offended you. It only shows the arrogance of the current leadership,” he said.
Mr. Kyerematen, who broke away from the governing NPP to form the Movement for Change and has now launched the United Party (UP), said his decision was driven by a desire to restore integrity, inclusiveness, and genuine service in Ghanaian politics.
He maintained that despite his resignation, he remains widely respected within the NPP’s grassroots base, many of whom, he claimed, continue to support him.
“Even at the risk of sounding boastful, I can tell you I am one of the most popular politicians among the NPP rank and file. Those at the top may disagree, but the base knows where their loyalty lies,” he asserted.
Calls for a new political direction
Mr. Kyerematen said the formation of the United Party was in response to growing public frustration with both the NPP and the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), whom he accused of entrenching divisive and self-serving politics.
“Ghana’s political landscape has become so polarised and toxic that if there was ever a time the nation needed a third force to unite us, that time is now,” he said.
He described the UP as a centrist party, one that would “take the best ideas from both the left and right” to build a more inclusive and pragmatic governance model. The party’s core philosophy, he said, is centred on the motto “Ghana First.”
Addressing concerns about the growing monetisation of Ghana’s elections, Mr. Kyerematen said most citizens were opposed to the use of money to buy votes and promised that his new party would run a clean, issue-driven campaign.
“Leadership should not be about who has the most money. Most Ghanaians are tired of monocracy — the use of money to buy influence. The United Party is about merit and service, not money,” he stated.
Mr. Kyerematen added that the United Party would focus on uniting Ghanaians beyond partisan divisions and offering a credible alternative rooted in patriotism and national development.
“Our vision is to build a Ghana where politics is about service, not arrogance — and where leadership reflects humility and accountability,” he added.
