CPP postpones congress to August 22

The Convention People’s Party (CPP) has rescheduled its national congress to August 22, 2020.

The party was scheduled to hold its congress on August 15, 2020 to elect national officers and its flagbearer for the 2020 presidential election, but the chairman of the Interim Oversight Committee (IOC) of the CPP, Mr R. O. Frimpong-Manso, told the Daily Graphic yesterday that the IOC’s attention had been drawn to the fact that there would be Homowo celebrations in the Greater Accra Region on August 15, 2020.

Decision

He said the decision to postpone the congress to August 22 was taken late Wednesday evening after consultations with key stakeholders of the party.

Mr Frimpong-Manso explained that although the festival was a regional affair, the party did not want to disrupt the activities of the celebration in the region.

He said the one-week postponement would also give the opportunity for the candidates to undertake some campaigning as well.

Candidates

At the close of nominations on August 3, 2020, 19 stalwarts of the CPP had filed their nominations to contest various positions.

Out of the number, three filed to contest the flagbearer position, four for the national chairman position, three for the three vice chairperson positions, three for the position of general secretary, two for the national organiser, and two each for the positions of women organiser and youth organiser.

The congress shall elect the national chairperson, national vice chairpersons, the general secretary, the national treasurer, the national organiser, the national women’s organiser and the national youth organiser.

At the close of the nomination, no one had filed for the position of national treasurer.

Background

The CPP was originally scheduled to hold its national delegates’ congress from March 27 to March 28 in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region.

The party opened nominations from February 6, 2020, to February 28, 2020.

However, on February 27, 2020, the eve of the last day for the filing of nominations, the party was served with a suit, compelling the leadership to postpone the filing of the nominations and date of the congress.

The suit centred on an alleged bank account opened by some national executive members on behalf of the party and the manner in which regional elections were held in the Central, Oti, Volta and Western regions.

On July 2, 2020, the High Court accepted the terms of a consent judgement, including the setting up of a five-member IOC to superintend the holding of the national congress.

IOC

The Council of Elders of the CPP, on July 3, 2020, inaugurated a five-member IOC under the chairmanship of Mr R.O. Frimpong-Manso to oversee the activities of the party towards the national delegates’ congress.

The council appointed Dr Adolf Lutterodt and Prof. Nii Noi Dowuona as the chairmen for the Extended Congress Planning Committee and Vetting Committee respectively.

This was in line with the terms of the consent judgement adopted and granted by Mrs Justice Mariama Sammo of the Accra Commercial High Court.- #GhanaVotes2020#