CPP comes alive

..Pomp and pageantry herald Nduom’s arrival

After almost 41 years, the Convention People’s Party has come alive again. And for those who once lived through the CPP from the late 50’s to the 60’s, until it was proscribed after the 1966 coup, the setting for the party’s 3rd National Delegates Congress evokes those sweet all conquering memories of the CPP.

That was the period that the CPP won every elections by unimaginable proportions.

The closest that any political party tried to re-enact the CPP star attraction was in 1979 when an offshoot of the tradition-the People’s National Party, beat the Popular Front Party in a run-off.

But events preceding the party’s congress at the Great Hall-the venue for the CPP congress offer ample evident yet that the party was gradually on the way to gaining its attraction.

As earlier as six o’clock in the morning, party supporters and followers of aspiring candidate engaged in what an observer put as an aspiring shadow that offered a fore-state of what was to be expected as the day draws to a close.

Supporters were clad in T-Shirts and other apparels of their respective candidates. Almost every space of the KNUST campus was covered with posters of presidential aspirants and others vying for executive positions.

The venue was set alight by many song groups with the brass band music leading the pack followed closely by “jamma groups”.

Then came perhaps, the moment almost every party member was yearning for-the entry of presidential aspirants. The first to enter was Prof. Agyeman Badu Akosa, the former Director General of Ghana Health Service.

His entry did not ignite the kind of sparkling effect that people had anticipated and was closely followed by Dr. Kweku Osafo and Dr. FWA Akufo.

The controversial Bright Akwetey sneaked unnoticed to the Great Hall. But loudest cheers was reserved for Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom,other trying to upstage each other.

As usual with such occasions aides and contesting parties went on last minute lobbying trying hard to convince especially regions or constituencies that they fared badly during the constituency and regional elections.

However interactions with some delegates suggest that the attempts came too late.

“We appreciate such last minute overtures. But the die is cast. Most of us have made up our minds and it will be very difficult to change such mindset”, Eyonam Lutherodt told The Ghanaian Journal.