Accra, Aug 8, GNA - An Accra-based legal practitioner and a leading member of the Convention Peoples Party (CPP) Mr Bright Oblitei Akwetey on Monday hinted his intentions to contest for the flag bearership slot of the party for Elections 2012.

A close confidant of Mr Akwetey told the Ghana News Agency in an interview that the former Board Secretary of Accra Hearts of Oak is the ultimate choice for the CPP to wrestle power from the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

“Mr Akwetey is capable of marshalling a formidable force in the country with the ability to shoulder effectively with the Flag bearers of the National Democratic Congress, Professor John Evans Atta Mills and New Patriotic Party’s Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo," he stated.

The Confidant explained that Mr Akwetey, who once investigated and prosecuted economic crimes in Ghana and The Gambia, had over the period critically examined the CPP and deduced that the party's inability to identify its core objectives, values and ideologies as the bane of its unappealing performance since the 1992 Election.

“Also, the lukewarm attitude of the current leadership of the party, reflected in their choosing to dwell on who has the best interpretation of Kwame Nkrumah’s ideologies rather than grassroots membership mobilisation while crafting a message that would appeal to the electorate was another reason for the poor performance of the party in any elections,” he noted.

Mr Akwetey’s Confidant explained that CPP’s continuous stay in the political backwoods was due to a loss of focus, direction and divisive ideas in the leadership front, adding the flag bearer aspirant had what it takes to re-package the CPP into a viable national political institution to fight for Elections 2012 and take over the reigns of government in the country.

He said Ghana needed a president who had demonstrably shown the courage and audacity to fight corruption, because the time for lip service to fight the canker was over, and “Mr Akwetey, a former State Attorney has what it takes to do that for Ghanaians”.

The Confidant said: “Mr Akwetey’s motivation to contest for the CPP flag bearership slot was to see Ghanaians as proud, confident, disciplined and law-abiding citizens, whose standards of living are measured not only in GDP terms, but also by the extent to which the average Ghanaian can afford good quality health, education, shelter, clothing, food and employment and has the opportunity to travel in decent transport and also secure and safe roads".

The CPP has fixed the end of September to elect a flagbearer at a venue yet to be announced.