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The Member of Parliament for Mpraeso, Davis Ansah Opoku, has said that it is the turn of New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential hopeful Alan Kyerematen to be the flagbearer of the party.

According to him, Alan has sacrificed a lot for the growth and unity of the NPP, and he deserves to be given the opportunity to lead the party.

Speaking in an Oyerepa TV interview monitored by GhanaWeb, Ansah Opoku added that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo himself categorically stated that Alan will take over from him when he (Alan) stepped out for the second round of the 2007 presidential primaries.

“Members of the NPP know that it is the turn of Alan Kyerematen. Members of the NPP know that the greatest sacrifice that has ever been made in the party was by Alan Kyerematen.

“In 2007, when the party was at a standstill, when the party was at a crossroads, out of nowhere, Alan said he will not contest in the second round of the NPP presidential primaries and he pledged his support to Nana Addo. This is the greatest sacrifice anybody can make for the NPP.

“This was why the then-candidate Akufo-Addo at Legon (NPP Congress) singled out Alan, whom he described as the young man who has given him a run for his money... and prophesied into the life of Alan that he will be the party’s leader after him (Akufo-Addo),” he said in Twi.

He added that what Akufo-Addo said should still hold and questioned whether the president has now changed his mind.

Alan Kyerematen is expected to face stiff competition from the likes of Assin Central MP Ken Agyapong, Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the former Food and Agriculture Minister, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto and ex- Mampong MP Francis Addai-Nimoh for the flagbearership position of the NPP.