It‘ll take non-partisan candidate to transform Ghana — JOY

It will only take a non-partisan candidate to transform and bring development to the country, an independent presidential candidate for the 2012 and 2016 general elections, Jacob Osei Yeboah (JOY) has said.

He explained that a non-partisan alternative would bring the nation together and change the political status quo by moving Ghana beyond the duopoly of the two main political parties in Ghana — the New Patriotic Party and the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

Mr Yeboah made the remarks in an interview with the Daily Graphic following the decision by a former flag bearer hopeful of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, to run as an independent candidate in the 2024 general election.

Right decision

The two-time independent presidential candidate said Mr Kyerematen had taken a bold and right decision to break away from the NPP; hence, exposing the corrupt system in the country.

“Alan Kyerematen has seen the light and wants to leave the corrupt system and wants to identify himself with credible alternatives,” he said.

Mr Yeboah indicated that Mr Kyerematen had started speaking the language of an independent candidate and, therefore, stressed that it would only take a non-partisan candidate to bring the nation together.

“In the 1954 elections, Ghana voted for a lot of independent Members of Parliament (MPs) and there is going to be a repeat in the 2024 general election as we will have a lot of Ghanaians voting for an independent president and parliamentarians,” he said.

He described Mr Kyerematen as a more religious and credible man than some religious leaders who could not speak against the corrupt system of the country but were bold enough to speak against LGBTQI hence, indicating their action as endorsing corruption.

“But then we are hoping that as this new door is opening we will see a repentance coming from our religious leaders and traditional leaders in supporting the fight against corruption not because they are benefiting but because they care,” he said. 

Welcomed

Mr Yeboah, therefore, commended and welcomed Mr Kyeremanten to the non-partisan alternative and expressed the belief that the latter would become a great apostle of the Ghana First Coalition (GFC) that the country and Africa need.

“We hope that he will be led by the things he has said and we call on all those who want to stand as non-partisan candidates, we are going to support not only presidential but parliamentary candidates,” he said.

“We don’t need a coup d’etat but we need candidates with the expertise that we can utilise for the benefit of the next generation.

We need to make our politicians understand true leadership,” he said.

He, therefore, advised Mr Kyeremanten to not have a self-entitlement to be president at all costs but should be prepared for a healthy competition.

“There are many key people and leaders on the GFC platform who are looking for change for the next generation.

It is time for change and Ghana needs change, people are rising and fighting for the future of the next generation,” he said.

Mr Yeboah said although the journey as an independent candidate was not an easy one, he indicated that it was possible for a non-partisan alternative to win in 2024 since it was possible in Benin.

Appealed

Mr Yeboah appealed to the country’s traditional and religious leaders not to be silent but to speak up and report corrupt practices to help fight the menace.

He said their inability to do so had enabled politicians to loot the national kitty at the expense of the ordinary citizens who continued to suffer economic hardships with no sign of it abating.

He stressed that because corruption had taken root in the traditional and religious set-ups, their leaders could not prevail on politicians to eschew the canker.

GFC objective

Mr Yeboah, who is the co-founder of the GFC, said the organisation was aimed at bringing together all independent aspirants under one umbrella to give one of them nationwide support.

He said it was mandatory for every non-partisan candidate to go through the credibility test to see whether the public accepts the candidate.

“GFC accepts and welcomes anyone who presents himself as an independent presidential aspirant based on the person’s track record and integrity,” he said.