Ghanaian artiste Okyeame Kwame has revealed that Alan Kyerematen approached him three months ago with a running mate offer in the lead-up to the general 2024 general elections.
Okyeame Kwame noted that Alan, the founder of ‘Movement for Change’ provided a list of 10 criteria which he believes the musician fits in and for which reason he wanted him as his running mate.
His concerns included possible propaganda, security threats, and the intense public scrutiny that frequently accompanies political life.
In an interview on Joy FM, November 16 2024, the musician stated that his decision was also based on the well-being of his family.
“So he [Alan] reached out, and I was in Kumasi for an event. I went to see him, and he outlined certain criteria for the person he wanted as his running mate. It was very flattering. They wanted someone who had accomplished something significant, and I’ve been in the music industry for 26 years. They also considered personal factors, like marriage and family.”
“I couldn’t do it because my children are teenagers. If I [were to go] into partisan politics, I would need to prepare them for at least a year. I also had to think about security: what if people spread false propaganda about you? What if they dug up your skeletons? Had I prepared my family to deal with that kind of pressure? No. And because of that I didn’t want to put my family in jeopardy,” he explained.
Alan later chose 40-year-old Elijah Kwame Owusu Danso as his running mate. Elijah was once hip-hop musician and a broadcaster who worked with Pan African TV. He is now a lawyer by profession.