Dr Divine Ayivor, a former Adventist Minister, has picked nomination forms to contest for the flagbearer slot of the Convention People’s Party (CPP) slated for March 28 at Kumasi in the Ashanti Region.
A CPP official said Dr Ayivor, who was the Pastor of Prince Emmanuel SDA Church Ringway and another personality who sent a representative to pick forms without disclosing his or her identity are the only two who have picked nomination forms.
Filing of nominations was expected to close on last Friday, February 28 for CPP Flagbearership and National Leadership aspirants.
Aspirants were expected to pay the appropriate full nomination fees to complete the process of filing to be eligible to contest for a position at the party’s March 28 National Delegates Congress in Kumasi, Ashanti Region.
Dr Ayivor, in an interview with GNA after picking the forms, appealed to the CPP Central Committee to extend the deadline for the filing from February 28, to March 30 and then add another 45 days for the congress.
He said each aspirant need some time to visit all the regions to meet with the Regional and Constituency Executives as well as polling station volunteers and deal with their challenges.
He also joined scores of CPP leading members who have called for a downward review of the filing fees which he said was high.
According to the CPP, those seeking to be presidential aspirants would be required to pay GH¢170,000, while national chairmanship aspirants would be required to pay GH¢70,000 as filing feelings.
Aspirants for the positions of national vice-chair, treasurer and general secretary, it said, would pay GH¢50,000 as filing fees.
It said aspirants for national organizers would pay GH¢30,000, while those seeking the position of women organizer and youth organizer would be required to pay GH¢20,000 as filing fees.
Four personalities have picked forms for Chairmanship: Hajia Hamdatu Ibrahim Haruna, the Acting Chairperson; Mr Kweku Ankra-Quansah; Ms Araba Bensti Enchill; and Nana Oduro Kwarteng.
For the Vice Chairmanship slot, only Mr John B. Daniels has so far picked a form whilst four persons have picked for the General Secretary post: Mr Ebenezer Agbenya; Nana Yaa Jantuah; Mr Kwadwo Afari Yeboah; and Mr Sylvester Sarpong Saprano.
Two picked for the National Organizer post: Moses Yirimambo Ambing and Rashid Alao; Youth Organizer contenders are: Nabila Alhassan Basiru and Osei Kofi Acquah.
Hajia Aisha Sulley Futa, and Mrs Rose Austin Tenadu are contesting for the National Women Organiser slot.
In a twist to developments, The Convention People’s Party (CPP) has temporarily put a hold on its decision to close the filing of nominations by aspiring national executives and flagbearship positions of the party. It follows a law suit brought against the party to discontinue with the process.
The acting General Secretary of the party, James Kwabena Bomfeh Jr., who is also the Director of Elections, confirmed the temporary halt to the process to the Daily Graphic at the party’s headquarters.
He declined to give further details of the suit and the person who brought the suit, as well as the reason or reasons for the suit.
Kwabena Bomfeh Jnr said the party received the suit last Thursday, explaining that the party’s leadership was in a crunch meeting to get some legal advice on the matter.
He, however, clarified that the suit was not an injunction and pointed out that “Legal matters have political twists.” He said once the party finished its meeting, it would outline the way forward in order not to disrupt the party’s calendar and activities.
The CPP Central Committee recently postponed the National Delegate Congress from March 8 to March 27 and 28 at Kumasi in the Ashanti Region.
The CPP National Delegates Congress is slated for Friday, March 27 and Saturday, March 28 in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region.
