What Happens with Nduom's Ticket and Samia's CPP

Samia Nkrumah

I have watched in dismay the internal destruction--or better, the pseudo destruction-- of the Convention Peoples Party (CPP) in the past few weeks. It started with media reports that the newly-elected Chair of the party, Samia Nkrumah, alleged that some powerful figures within the party are stampeding the new leadership into a congress to elect a presidential candidate. The party had just come out of a congress, which saw the election of the party's national executives, and Samia thought jumping right back into another was destructive. In the ensuing days, Samia pointed two fingers at strong party faithfuls and the party's 2008 presidential candidate, Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom, accusing the latter of instigating the former to push for a congress.

Nduom has maintained that he has been engaging party faithfuls across the country. Nothing can be wrong with that. In real terms, he is the only presidential candidate since 2008, given that the CPP has not organised any congress to elect a new candidate. As for Samia, one can only hope that by poking her finger into Nduom's eye, she is not deliberately causing him pain so that other candidates can take over--or the more insidious one, that the party does not field a presidential candidate in 2012. Call it tragic, but the party has sued its own 2008 presidential candidate and 19 others as well (here).

Dr. P.K Nduom

Indeed, not all are with the party Chair. Alhaji Murtala Kwame, the Northern regional Youth Organiser of the party, has labelled Samia Nkrumah a "mole" of the National Democratic Congress (here). Samia has remained resolute, playing on the party's constitution and a quasi fatigue from the congress that put her and the other national executives in power.

Things have not subsided yet. At least the mainstream media will concentrate of the seized cocaine which upon second testing months later turned out to be sodium bicarbonate. Meanwhile, Dr. Nduom soldiers on. He is a businessman after all. And he knows this best. A spokesperson of his has said that the 2008 presidential candidate is keeping his plates full, digging into every corner of his kitchen, including that of the CPP, as far as the 2012 is concerned. Nduom is a firm believer in domesticating Ghana for Ghanaians and Africans. He still is recruiting soldiers to prosecute his vision for the country, starting with the 7 December 2012 polls.

Further, in a recent interview with the Daily Graphic (here), Dr. Nduom made it clear:

"...I am currently engaged in broad consultations. I am taking my time consulting elders of the CPP, my family members, sympathisers and supporters across the length and breadth of Ghana."
If there is anything at all, I have developed strong respect for Nduom for how he has shrewdly conducted himself throughout these weeks of assaults from the new executives.

For now, Dr. Nduom has postponed his decision until January 2012. The speculations will continue. But whatever move the management/business mogul may make, I do not see if falling too far off from the CPP.