Kwame Owusu Danso, the running mate of Mr Alan Kyerematen, delivered a powerful speech during the Afrafranto Mega Victory Walk in Kumasi on October 19, 2024, drawing a profound historical parallel between Dr Kwame Nkrumah and Alan Kyerematen.

Addressing the mammoth crowd, he noted that just as Dr Nkrumah left the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC) to form the Convention People’s Party (CPP) to lead Ghana to political independence, Alan Kyerematen has made a similar bold move by leaving the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to form the Movement for Change. He declared that this new political movement is focused on securing Ghana’s long-overdue economic independence.

“Many people didn’t understand Dr Kwame Nkrumah when he left the UGCC to form the CPP,” Owusu Danso said, “but he stayed focused on his vision for the country, and in the end, he secured our political independence.” He emphasized that history is repeating itself, as Alan Kyerematen has made a similar decision to part ways with the NPP to pursue a greater cause – economic freedom for Ghanaians. “Alan Kyerematen is Ghana’s next Kwame Nkrumah, but this time for economic independence,” he declared, to resounding cheers from the crowd.

KOD’s reference to Dr Nkrumah, Ghana’s first President and leading figure in the fight for political sovereignty, struck a chord with many in attendance. According to Owusu Danso, just as Nkrumah’s decision to leave the UGCC faced initial opposition and misunderstanding, Kyerematen’s exit from the NPP has left some people confused.

However, he firmly believes that, much like Nkrumah, Kyerematen will ultimately be vindicated. “At first, people may not understand,” he noted, “but Alan’s vision is clear – to free us from the economic bondage that has plagued this country for decades.”

The crowd responded enthusiastically to the speech, particularly when KOD pointed out the importance of economic independence as a follow-up to political freedom. “We have been free politically for years, but what use is that if the majority of our people remain poor?” Owusu Danso asked. “Alan Kyerematen understands that the next frontier is economic liberation, and that’s why he has created the Movement for Change – to free Ghanaians from the stranglehold of poverty, unemployment, and underdevelopment.”

Owusu Danso reiterated that Alan Kyerematen’s Great Transformational Plan (GTP) is the blueprint for achieving this economic freedom. He described the GTP as a bold and visionary plan that will create jobs, transform industries, and ensure that the country’s natural resources benefit all Ghanaians, not just a select few. “Just as Nkrumah laid out his vision for a free Ghana, Alan has laid out his plan to transform this country economically,” he said. “We are on the brink of another independence – this time, economic independence – and Alan is the leader to take us there.”

He also called on the youth, who made up the majority of the crowd, to rally behind Alan Kyerematen’s Movement for Change, just as the youth of Nkrumah’s time had supported the CPP. “It was the youth who led the charge for political independence, and today it is the youth who will lead the charge for economic freedom,” Owusu Danso said. “Let us follow Alan, as our fathers and mothers followed Nkrumah because he is the one who can deliver us from economic slavery.”

The message of economic independence resonated strongly with the thousands who had gathered for the Afrafranto Mega Victory Walk, further cementing Alan Kyerematen’s status as a transformative leader with the vision to lead Ghana into a new era of prosperity.