By Duke Tagoe

The proposal for forming a strategic alliance of the CPP and the NPP which Dr Nduom and his group pushed was roundly rejected by all organs of the CPP; including the Central Committee, the National Executive Council and the National Delegates Congress.

Consequently, the National Delegates Congress made up of 2000 delegates from all the constituencies, the Central Committee, the Council of Elders and founding Members elected Mr. George Aggudey Aggudey as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2004 elections and mandated the national leadership to put up parliamentary candidates in all the 200 constituencies.

Many party faithfuls had hoped that the decision of the National Congress would have been accepted by all members and that all of them would have rallied behind Mr. Aggudey to facilitate the rebuilding of the party’s structures.

Unfortunately, persons closely allied to Dr Nduom set out to discredit Mr. Aggudey. One of the most vociferous associates of Dr. Nduom, a Dr V. Antwi-Danso publicly stated that Mr. Aggudey was not the best candidate for the CPP. He openly questioned the judgement of the National Delegates Congress in a blatant attempt to discredit the flagbearer of the party.

Dr. Nduom himself said that there was no need for the CPP to field a presidential candidate and that the party should focus its attempts on how to get a few more seats in Parliament.

Nduom saw the way forward as securing NPP support for some selected candidates of the CPP in exchange for CPP support for the presidential candidature of Mr J.A Kufuor.

This strategy undoubtedly implied the subversion of the candidature of Mr. George Aggudey and therefore the decisions of the Central Committee, the National Executive Council and the National Congress.

Dr Nduom put this strategy to work in his own constituency and the result must have been shocking for him and all those who think like him.

Nduom launched his campaign for election as a member of Parliament for the KEEA constituency as an “all-inclusive” campaign suggesting that it would cut across party lines.

Unfortunately, soon after the launching, the KEEA branch of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) issued a statement rejecting the candidature of Dr Nduom and stating emphatically that the party will sponsor its own candidate.

In an apparent reaction, Mr. Dan Botwe, General Secretary of the NPP said on “Peace FM” that people who want to contest on the NPP’s ticket are welcome to join the party and to follow its rules and regulations.

Dr. Edmund Delle, National Chairman and Leader of the CPP said that no one can declare himself a candidate of the party without the approval of the Central Committee.

The NDC also quickly stated that it was putting up its own Parliamentary candidate.

It is now clear that Dr Nduom is hanging in the air without the support of any of the political parties.

Poor Dr Nduom! His gamble does not appear to have paid off.

To be continued.