Justin Frimpong Kodua, General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has denied allegations that the new leadership has taken over the ruling party.

Alan Kyerematen, a former Trade and Industry Minister, accused the national executives on Monday with bias.

As a result of withdrawing from the campaign for the NPP presidential nomination earlier this month, Kyerematen declared at a gathering for the public that he had left the party and will run for president as an independent candidate.

“The party has been hijacked by a selected group of party leaders and elders, government appointees, ‘behind-the-curtain power brokers’ and some unscrupulous party apparatchiks,” he said.

“It was my fervent wish to use the vehicle of the party to bring my God-given talents, experience and knowledge, acquired both locally and internationally over a period of 46 years, to serve our dear nation, Ghana, at the highest level of executive authority,” he said.

“It is abundantly clear to me that my services and contributions to the party are not appreciated, and that my continuous stay in the party will create further tension and division, which is an exact replay of circumstances that led to my decision to resign from the party in 2008.”