CPP's Running Mate

The flag-bearer of the  Convention People's Party (CPP), Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom has, in consultation with the leadership of the party, selected Dr. Abu Sakara as his running mate for the December poll.

The 50-year old Dr. Sakara is a professional scientist with vast experience in agriculture and rural development.

He is the CPP's spokesman on Agriculture and Rural development and is married with four children.

A statement by Dr. Nduom's campaign team described Dr. Sakara as a confident man with “great passion for national development.”

It said he has demonstrated and proven by deed “his commitment to the development of the northern part of Ghana.”

It said the choice of Dr. Sakara “is a choice of unity of the CPP and one that heals internal wounds so that all can rally around the Nduom-Sakara ticket for   victory in 2008.”

The statement noted that the combination of Dr. Sakara's grass roots expertise in agriculture for development, programme implementation and institutional reform and Dr. Nduom's hands-on     experience in finance, economic planning and business development “forms the best leadership team to transform Ghana from the   third  world to the first  world.”

It said he was instrumental in mobilising funds to form the Buuwulonso One Stop Rural Bank to service small scale entrepreneurs and rural workers in Northern Region.

“At a time when there is the national recognition for peace, security and development in the Northern part of    Ghana, Dr. Sakara is the  best choice to be on the CPP ticket to help reinforce the party' traditional, pioneering efforts to bring educational social infrastructure and jobs to the Northern Ghana”, the statement said.

Dr. Nduom said the inclusion of Ms Anna Bossman into the list of possible choices was as result of his preparedness to go outside the party to consider women who “had played front-line politics or showed any inclination to engage in partisan politics.”

“The consideration of Ms. Bossman was treated with utmost care given the trust and non-partisan cloak she wears at the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice,” he said, adding, “it is my belief that she is one of the people who can become president in Ghana.”

He said the process had affirmed his commitment to affirmative action to make more women available publicly for consideration for high office of president.

He said under a CPP administration, 50 per cent of district, municipal and metropolitan chief executives and regional ministers would be women.

“As the party with a woman as National Organizer and the only one with regional chairman (Accra) who is woman, we will continue to encourage women to take their proper place in national and local politics”, he stated.