IMANI Warns Alan Kyerematen’s UP Plus Faces Uphill Battle in Ghana’s Two-Party System

Policy think tank IMANI Africa has cast doubt on the prospects of Alan Kyerematen’s newly launched United Party Plus (UP Plus), warning that Ghana’s long-standing two-party dominance leaves little room for new entrants to gain significant political ground.

In a new governance brief, IMANI describes UP Plus — a rebrand of Kyerematen’s Movement for Change (MfC) — as an ambitious attempt to “disrupt Ghana’s entrenched two-party system.” However, the group argues that the structure of Ghana’s political landscape and constitutional limitations continue to work against smaller political movements.

According to the report, since the return to constitutional rule in 1992, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and National Democratic Congress (NDC) have maintained an overwhelming hold on electoral outcomes, consistently capturing more than 90 percent of the national vote. In the 2020 elections, their combined share reached 99.2 percent, leaving less than one percent for all other political parties and independents combined.

“The duopoly of the NPP and NDC has proven remarkably resilient, absorbing or neutralizing breakaway movements at different points in the electoral cycle,” IMANI noted.

The think tank observed that while the Movement for Change had managed to remain visible beyond the 2024 elections, visibility alone did not guarantee political success. It stressed that UP Plus must focus on building durable grassroots structures across Ghana’s more than 40,000 polling stations to remain relevant.

IMANI’s analysis also highlights the constitutional barrier that requires a majority of government ministers to be appointed from Parliament, making parliamentary representation crucial for any emerging party seeking to govern. Historical data shows that smaller parties such as the Progressive People’s Party (PPP) and Ghana Union Movement (GUM) have failed to secure seats despite contesting hundreds of constituencies over multiple elections.

“Without parliamentary presence and strong local structures, UP Plus risks becoming another personality-driven movement,” IMANI cautioned.

The report further points to Alan Kyerematen’s performance in the 2024 elections, where he garnered just 0.26 percent of the national vote, as evidence of the steep challenge ahead. By comparison, independent candidate Nana Kwame Bediako secured 0.73 percent.

IMANI suggests that for UP Plus to establish credibility, it must adopt what it calls a “beachhead strategy” — focusing resources on winnable constituencies, building active local branches, and developing strong parliamentary candidates.

“The relevance of UP Plus will depend not on its launch fanfare, but on its ability to endure, organize, and win,” the analysis concludes.

Alan Kyerematen unveiled the United Party Plus earlier this month, positioning it as a broad coalition aimed at “restoring unity and progress” in Ghanaian politics. The party traces its name to the historic United Party tradition that predated the NPP, but IMANI warns that historical symbolism alone may not be enough to alter Ghana’s three-decade NPP-NDC duopoly.