General News of Sunday, 22 October 2017
Source: 3news.com
The 2016 presidential candidate of the Progressive People’s Party (PPP), Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom has blamed the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission for his poor performance in the election after managing 106,092 votes representing 0.99% of the total votes cast.
In the 2016 elections, Dr. Nduom had to resort to the courts to get his name on the ballot paper after he was disqualified by the Electoral Commission.
“To [EC boss] Charlotte Osei and others at the Electoral Commission, I say we will never forget your failed attempt to take away our freedom and our right to participate in the 2016 election.
“Yes you succeeded in sabotaging our campaign but in the end, we still stand tall. Never again should you dare to circumvent the laws that put you in office,” he cautioned.
Dr. Nduom was addressing delegates at the party’s 4th National Convention Saturday in the Upper East regional capital, Bolgatanga.
The business mogul who founded the PPP was the party’s presidential candidate in 2012 as well. He has made three attempts at the presidency: his first was in 2008 on the ticket of the Convention People’s Party, which he later broke away from.
Election 2020
Dr. Nduom has given the strongest indication yet that he may not put himself up for president in the 2020 elections.
“I am now part of the older generation. My task now is to encourage, support and educate our young progressives to come to the front line of our party. The PPP is not Nduom’s property. It is our party. Now it is there for you the young people to make it great and successful,” he hinted his retirement from frontline politics.”
He reminded the president, Nana Akufo-Addo that he is the president for all Ghanaians, stressing that the PPP will continue to offer ideas and support positive policies that will improve the lives of Ghanaians.
Though he commended the government’s Free SHS policy as being “good”, he observed, “it does not go far enough. What Ghana needs is free, compulsory and continuous education from kindergarten to the end of senior high school. And PPP will continue to push for it.”
He charged the president to make it possible for the people to elect metropolitan, municipal and district chief executives before the 2020 elections.
This is what will signal growth and prosperity in Ghana,” he stated.
He was upbeat about the prospect of his party in future elections. “I am confident that our party will be successful. God willing and with good effort, PPP will be in Parliament. PPP will go to the Flagstaff house. And Ghana will see wonders! Ghana will become a strong and prosperous country.”