Da Rocha apologized before his death – Alan on former NPP Chairman’s 2008 letter

Former Trade Minister and Independent candidate, Alan Kyerematen, has addressed a notable letter penned in 2008 by the founding member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), the late B.J. da Rocha.

In this letter, the chairman expressed that Alan should be allowed to depart from the party at his own discretion, attributing this stance to Alan being a disruptive influence within the group.

These remarks by da Rocha have resurfaced in light of Alan’s recent departure from the NPP on Monday.

Alan Kyerematen made the decision to run as an independent candidate on September 25, officially resigning from the NPP.

During an appearance on Accra-based UTV, Alan recounted a series of events pertaining to how he had to confront the late chairman regarding his approach to resolving tensions at that time.

I had just met Da Rocha in Accra on my way to Kumasi and when I arrived, he had already granted an interview [issued a statement], calling me a disruptive factor,” Alan said.

The letter as captured by Myjoyonline.com saw Da Rocha projecting that Alan, who finished as runner-up in the 2008 NPP flagbearer presidential race would become a “disruptive factor a stumbling block, and a loose canon if accepted back into the fold of the NPP.”

But in the interview on UTV, Alan Kyerematen said the former NPP Chairman backtracked later on.

“When I had the opportunity, I confronted him frontally and asked him if he was serious at all because I felt as an elderly person, he should have known better. I told him he acted in bad faith. Later on, he called consistently to apologise before his death.”

The presidential aspirant who placed third during the party’s Super Delegates Congress will contest the 2024 election as an independent presidential candidate.

He explained “My decision to contest as an Independent Candidate will not destroy the Party, but instead provide the Party an opportunity to participate in a Government of National Unity in the future, and avoid the risk of going into opposition with no dividends, in what arguably will be a difficult general election in 2024.