Independent presidential aspirant Alan Kyerematen has indicated he will harvest the support base of his former party in the 2024 presidential election.

The former Minister of Trade and Industry, who recently resigned from the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), also served notice to the leadership of the NPP to stay off his reputation or he fights back.

In an interview with Accra-based Citi TV, Mr Kyerematen, who has tried to be president since 2007, said, as a founder member of the NPP, "I have paid my dues to the party, and I believe in the traditions and values of the party" but pointed out: "If things are going wrong, I can only commit to remaining calm for a certain time, but when it is going to jeopardise the very existence of our party -- which is where we have got to now -- I will not stay and countenance that".

"Afterall", he noted, "I’m not a young man" and "I can make my own decisions, and I have a very distinguished record in my profession -- locally and externally". 

"So, I don’t waste my time on matters like this", he told the station, adding: "And that is why I’m giving a caution to the party leadership that if they want to play that kind of game by trying to discredit me about what has gone on, it will not be an interesting exercise", Mr. Kyerematen warned.

“As an independent candidate", he indicated, "whether the party likes it or not, let the occasion arise, and they will see how much of that base I will harvest [as] votes, because we are not talking about delegates now, we are talking about the 6.5 million people who are not delegates and who are looking for people who represent the true ideals of their tradition".

Mr Kyerematen said "the political ecosystem, philosophy and foundation, that we have now, drive us more toward an executive-presidential system". 

"People say it’s a hybrid, but the truth of the matter is that power is vested in one person -- the president. If that is the case, then does it not make sense that people who are selected and elected as president must be elected on their own merit and not on the back of a political party?" he wondered.