Former President John Agyekum Kufuor has revealed that Alan Kyerematen declined an invitation to serve in his first government after the New Patriotic Party (NPP) won power in the 2000 elections.

The former President made the disclosure while refuting long-standing claims that he supported Alan against Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo during the party’s 2008 presidential primaries.

According to him, the allegations have persisted for years despite having no basis.

“Even when we won power in the 2000 general elections, and I contacted him that I wanted to make him a Minister, he declined,” Mr Kufuor said.

Explaining further, Mr Kufuor stressed that his attempt to include Alan in his cabinet at the time was out of recognition for his competence and commitment to the party, not an effort to groom him for future leadership battles.

He insisted that the rejection of the ministerial offer demonstrated that Alan was not being positioned for advantage within the party, contrary to speculation. “No, no. I never supported him against anybody,” he continued. “I didn’t give him any support to aid him go and defeat anybody. It will never happen.”

The former President’s comments come amid a resurgence of old rumours linking him to Alan’s 2008 flagbearer bid. For years, sections of the public and political observers have claimed that Mr Kufuor favoured Alan as his preferred successor, an assertion he has repeatedly dismissed.

He maintained that he remained neutral and allowed the internal democratic process to play out without interference.

Mr Kufuor’s clarification also ties into his recent reflections on the NPP’s electoral fortunes, particularly the party’s defeat in the 2024 general elections.

The former President argued that policy missteps by the Akufo-Addo administration, such as the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme, the PDS debacle and the National Cathedral project, contributed significantly to voter dissatisfaction.

He warned political leaders to take public sentiment seriously and avoid taking Ghanaians for granted.