Alien Nketiah unwanted - CPP youth

The vice-presidential nominee of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), Nana Gabby Nketiah, should fully join the party or exit, the party’s youth wing has said.

The CPP Youth League’s call follows comments by Mr Nketiah, a retired diplomat, that he is still a member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

The 73-year-old retired military man recently told GHOne: “Yes, I am a card-bearing member of the NPP, I have not denounced my card-bearership to my party yet. The thing has just begun, this is not new. Few years ago, some NPP leaders, including myself and former President Kufuor, went to the house of the late Mr Arkaah to be our running mate and he agreed to do it even though he was not a member of the NPP. So, there is nothing wrong with it.”

In response to this, a statement issued and signed by Commander Jason Tutu, Head of Communications and Students Command of the CPP, said: “We express our utmost disgust at some utterances and demeanour of the recently appointed vice-presidential candidate of the party, Mr Gabby Nketiah. While it is obvious that Mr Nketiah is of NPP extraction, his association with the Nkrumahist fraternity in his youthful days are not in doubt; that is the reason why many in the CPP decided to welcome him home irrespective of his NPP leanings. The general belief was that he had renounced his NPP membership and re-joined the CPP.”

“However, recent utterances from Mr Nketiah point to the direction that he wants to have his cake and eat it. It must be made clear that the CPP is in no official alliance with the NPP towards election 2016. As such, at no point should a card-bearing member of the NPP, who insists on his membership of the NPP at every turn, be occupying the very high position of vice-presidential candidate in the CPP. Going into an election where all political parties require unity of purpose and of conviction, this development can only amount to the CPP cutting its own nose to spite its face,” the statement said.

The group said “as such, the Youth [League] requires of Mr Nketiah to renounce his NPP membership publicly and with immediate effect and don fully the gown of the CPP. It is only his full proclamation of membership and acquisition of a CPP party card that will render him one in good standing to occupy the position of running mate to our party's presidential candidate.

“Also, the Youth League requests that the party leadership immediately rein in Mr Nketiah and ask him to comply or exit. It is rather disappointing that such basic issues were not resolved with him before announcing his appointment. In any case, is there no credible bona fide CPP member who is qualified to be running mate? Or is this another calculated attempt to publicly ridicule the party? The party chairman, Edmund Delle, must take immediate steps to resolve this imbroglio. Otherwise, Mr Nketiah should be immediately withdrawn as the vice-presidential candidate. … We hereby call on party leadership to do the right thing. Otherwise the Youth League will have no alternative but to resolve to mounting ceaseless pressure on them to appeal to their sense of propriety and party interest.”