CPP moves to recapture power - Elects flag bearer, officers today

The Convention People’s Party (CPP) is seeking a revival that will catapult it into prominence in the country’s Fourth Republican politics.

Having fallen behind in the political race for a long time, the party will today take another step aimed at clawing back its lost glory as it holds its national congress to elect a flagbearer for the December 7 elections and national officers.

The exigencies of the time, particularly the COVID-19 pandemic, have compelled the party leadership to shelve the usual practice of congregating at one place to elect national officers.

For the first time, the elections have been decentralised to the regional level, where delegates will vote at special voting centres.

Candidates

Twenty candidates are vying for the vacant positions in what appears to be fierce multiple contests.

Three party gurus are in the race to clinch the flagbearer ticket. They are a former General Secretary of the party and 2016 presidential candidate, Mr Ivor Kobina Greenstreet; a lawyer and four-time flag bearer hopeful, Mr Bright Oblitei Akwetey, and a fresh face, Rev. Dr Divine Ayivor.

Some 17 people — a mix of old and new faces — will slug it out for the positions of National Chairman, National Vice-Chairman, General Secretary, Treasurer, National Organiser, Women’s Organiser and Youth Organiser. 

For the topmost position of National Chairman, the acting National Chairperson of the party, Hajia Hamdatu Ibrahim Haruna, will battle it out with Nana Oduro Kwarteng, Mr Kweku Ankrah Quansah and Nana Akosua Frimpomaa Sarpong Kumankuma.

For the vice-chairmanship, the candidates are Messrs Onsy Kwame Nkrumah, Emmanuel Ogbojor and J.B. Daniels, who are running unopposed as the First, Second and Third Vice-Chairmen, respectively.

The vociferous Nkrumahist, Mr James Kwabena Bomfeh Jnr, aka Kabila, who has been acting as the General Secretary, is seeking to become the substantive General Secretary, but he faces a challenge from a former Director of Public and External Affairs of the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC), Nana Yaa Akyempim Jantuah.

For the National Organiser position, Messrs Moses Yirimanbo and Rashid Allao will compete, while Hajia Aisha Sulley Futa and Madam Rose Endah face off for the Women’s Organiser position, with Messrs Solomon Amponsah and Osei Kofi vying for the Youth Organiser position.

Voting arrangements

Each constituency will have nine delegates casting their ballots.

The arrangement is that once delegates cast their votes, they will immediately return to their constituencies.

Casting of ballots starts at 7 a.m. and ends at 1 p.m.  after which officials of the Electoral Commission (EC) will collate and declare the final results and communicate the results through the party’s communications channels.

Voting centres

Delegates in the Ashanti Region will cast their ballots at the Asawase Community Centre; Eastern Region at the Koforidua GNAT Hall; Oti Region at the Nkwanta Social Centre and the Volta Region at the Ho World Vision Conference Hall.

Those in the Central, Western and Western North regions will vote at the Ajumako School of Languages, the Takoradi Lagoon Hotel and the Sefwi Wiawso Methodist Church premises, respectively.

In the Ahafo Region, the voting centre is the Goaso Catholic Church; Bono Region, the Sunyani Tropical Hotel; Bono East, the Nkoranza Benji Hotel; Northern Region, the Tamale Regional Library; North East, Nalerigu Ashbarika, and Savannah Region, the Damongo Mahama Guest House.

The Wa Regional Library will be the voting centre for delegates in the Upper West Region; Upper East, the Bolgatanga Catholic Social Centre, and Greater Accra, the  YMCA at Adabraka.

The CPP Headquarters will host the voting centre for national executives, members of the Council of Elders and other party gurus.

Besides, the headquarters centre will serve as the monitoring and collation centre where the results will be declared.