CPP is close to power � Nylander

The Chairman of the Convention Peoples Party (CPP), Ladi Nylander (pictured) has boldly stated that the CPP is close to seizing power from the two dominant political parties � the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP). Speaking to host of the Citi Breakfast Show, Bernard Avle, on Tuesday July 26, Mr Nylander noted that the CPP is the only political party gradually ascending the political ladder in Ghana whilst the two other parties with majority of the electorates continue to lose control and move downwards. �This is the first time that I can see CPP very close to power, it hasn�t happened by accident. If you were to conduct opinion polls you will find that from the levels that they were a year ago, both NPP and NDC are on their way down. The only party that seems to be on its way up is the CPP�. Mr Nylander, who is being challenged by Samia Yaaba Nkrumah, Professor Edmund Delle and Madam Ewurabena Bentsil for the chairmanship of the party said under his leadership the CPP has a new brand which has given the electorate an alternate choice on the political landscape. Touching on the abrupt end of the party�s executive congress in the Western Region on Saturday, Mr Nylander described what happened as unfortunate. The Western Regional Delegates Congress of the CPP ended abruptly when the election of Regional Executives of the party was put on hold. The candidature of three persons for various executive positions was contested because they had the same number on their party cards. The party�s election committee could not agree on whether the cards of the three were forged or genuine and asked that the election be put off until the problem was clarified by the Central Committee of the party. The delegates did not re-convene after officials from the Regional office of the Electoral Commission (EC) left the scene with the ballot boxes. Mr Ladi Nylander however, stated that the congress ended abruptly because the delegates did not support the decision to disqualify the contestants. Even though he conceded that what happened in the Western Region created an ugly scene he said it would be unfortunate for anyone to blame him. He also dismissed allegations that he is not his own man and dances to the tune of the party�s 2008 presidential candidate, Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom. He said he only supports Dr Nduom because he was the party�s flagbearer and not because he is his bankroller as alleged by his detractors.