Kwame Nkrumah with executives of the then Ghana Journalists Association
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21st September, 2009
Dr Kwame Nkrumah At A Glance
Following a break from the United Gold Coast
Convention, Kwame Nkrumah led the formation of the Convention People’s Party (CPP) on 12th June, 1949 at Arena in Accra before a crowd of about 60,000. Nkrumah was made Chairman, with Komlah Gbedemah, as vice-chairman and Kojo Botsio as secretary.
Other members of the Central Committee include N. A. Welbeck, Kwesi Plange, Kofi Baako, Krobo Edusie, Dzenkle Dzewu and Ashie Nikoi.
* The CPP established branches in all towns and villages, each with its own branch executive. The Evening News became the party’s mouthpiece.
* The success of the Evening News encouraged Nkrumah to launch the Morning Telegraph in Sekondi and the Daily Mail in Cape Coast.
* The CPP accused the colonial government of delaying independence. The party stepped up political agitation through Positive Action, modelled on the non-violent protests of Mahatma Ghandi in India.
* The CPP and the Trades Union Congress organised a mass gathering which became known as the “Ghana Representative Assembly.” The UGCC and the Aborigines’ Rights Protection Society were invited but they turned it down.
* The assembly passed the following resolution. “That the people of the Gold Coast be granted immediate self-government by the British government, that is full dominion status within the British Commonwealth of Nations based on the statue of Westminister. That the assembly respectfully demands the immediate grant and sanction of full self-government for the chiefs and people of the Gold Coast.”
* Nkrumah warned the colonial authorities that if they continue to ignore the genuine grievances and concerns of the people, they would be responsible for any violence that would result. He sent a copy of the CPP’s manifesto to the Colonial Secretary and offered to discuss the party’s demands and to find a way to avert mass civil disobedience.
* After several meetings with colonial authorities, it became clear that no progress was being made on the central demand for a constituent assembly. On 8th January 1950, in front of a large CPP crowd at a public meeting in Accra, Nkrumah declared positive action. He travelled to Sekondi, Cape Coast and Takoradi to repeat the declaration.
* The colonial government declared a state of emergency, effective 12th January 1950 and prohibited the holding of processions, imposed curfews, and disconnected public services in certain areas.
* CPP and TUC leaders were arrested. The Accra Evening News and the Cape Coast Daily Mail were banned and their editors arrested.
* On 19th January, at a meeting of the Legislative Council, the government passed three bills – the Sedition Bill, a newspaper registration bill, and a bill to allow the Governor-in-council to impose curfew in any part of the country without having to resort to legislation.
* On 21st January 1950, Kwame Nkrumah was arrested and tried for inciting an illegal strike and for sedition for an article in the Cape Coast Daily Mail. He was sentenced to three years imprisonment.
* Gbedemah kept the party running and was in constant touch with Nkrumah who was held in James Fort prison from where messages were smuggled out on toilet paper to the headquarters.
* In the 1950 municipal elections held in the major cities – Accra (April), Cape Coast (June) and Kumasi (November) – the CPP posted stunning victories.
* In the Kumasi municipal election the CPP won all seats. As a result of these victories, the colonial government began to revise its view of the CPP, they recognised that the CPP “was clearly more politically skilful than any mere hooligan element could have been”.
But more importantly the CPP’s local organisational ability was proving useful to the government as it prepared the country for its first general election. The CPP assisted with the registration process and the political education campaigns “designed to apprise the population of their rights and the importance and significance of exercising those rights as voters”.
* As plans for the elections to the legislative assembly gathered pace, the CPP put up Kwame Nkrumah, who was still in jail, as the candidate for Accra Central – which now forms part of today’s Odododiodoo Constituency. This decision by the party generated enthusiasm throughout the country.
* The CPP once again achieved a stunning victory in the February 1951 elections. The party won the directly elected urban seats with ten times as many votes as those of the combined opposition, with Nkrumah polling a massive 22,780 of the available 23,122 votes in his Accra Central Constituency.
* In the 33 rural seats elected indirectly through electoral colleges, the CPP obtained 29 seats and the UGCC only three. In the two-member constituency of the Akim Abuakwa, Dr J. B. Danquah and William Ofori Atta barely won their seats: 95-85 votes and 87-83 votes, respectively. Dr K. A. Busia, on the other hand, lost his seat and secured his seat in the Legislative Assembly through one of the seats reserved for the Ashanti Confederacy Council.
* Soon after the elections the CPP wrote to the Governor asking for the release of Kwame Nkrumah.
So that he did not appear to have been forced, the Governor delayed the decision until after the Territorial
Convention, Kwame Nkrumah led the formation of the Convention People’s Party (CPP) on 12th June, 1949 at Arena in Accra before a crowd of about 60,000. Nkrumah was made Chairman, with Komlah Gbedemah, as vice-chairman and Kojo Botsio as secretary.
Other members of the Central Committee include N. A. Welbeck, Kwesi Plange, Kofi Baako, Krobo Edusie, Dzenkle Dzewu and Ashie Nikoi.
* The CPP established branches in all towns and villages, each with its own branch executive. The Evening News became the party’s mouthpiece.
* The success of the Evening News encouraged Nkrumah to launch the Morning Telegraph in Sekondi and the Daily Mail in Cape Coast.
* The CPP accused the colonial government of delaying independence. The party stepped up political agitation through Positive Action, modelled on the non-violent protests of Mahatma Ghandi in India.
* The CPP and the Trades Union Congress organised a mass gathering which became known as the “Ghana Representative Assembly.” The UGCC and the Aborigines’ Rights Protection Society were invited but they turned it down.
* The assembly passed the following resolution. “That the people of the Gold Coast be granted immediate self-government by the British government, that is full dominion status within the British Commonwealth of Nations based on the statue of Westminister. That the assembly respectfully demands the immediate grant and sanction of full self-government for the chiefs and people of the Gold Coast.”
* Nkrumah warned the colonial authorities that if they continue to ignore the genuine grievances and concerns of the people, they would be responsible for any violence that would result. He sent a copy of the CPP’s manifesto to the Colonial Secretary and offered to discuss the party’s demands and to find a way to avert mass civil disobedience.
* After several meetings with colonial authorities, it became clear that no progress was being made on the central demand for a constituent assembly. On 8th January 1950, in front of a large CPP crowd at a public meeting in Accra, Nkrumah declared positive action. He travelled to Sekondi, Cape Coast and Takoradi to repeat the declaration.
* The colonial government declared a state of emergency, effective 12th January 1950 and prohibited the holding of processions, imposed curfews, and disconnected public services in certain areas.
* CPP and TUC leaders were arrested. The Accra Evening News and the Cape Coast Daily Mail were banned and their editors arrested.
* On 19th January, at a meeting of the Legislative Council, the government passed three bills – the Sedition Bill, a newspaper registration bill, and a bill to allow the Governor-in-council to impose curfew in any part of the country without having to resort to legislation.
* On 21st January 1950, Kwame Nkrumah was arrested and tried for inciting an illegal strike and for sedition for an article in the Cape Coast Daily Mail. He was sentenced to three years imprisonment.
* Gbedemah kept the party running and was in constant touch with Nkrumah who was held in James Fort prison from where messages were smuggled out on toilet paper to the headquarters.
* In the 1950 municipal elections held in the major cities – Accra (April), Cape Coast (June) and Kumasi (November) – the CPP posted stunning victories.
* In the Kumasi municipal election the CPP won all seats. As a result of these victories, the colonial government began to revise its view of the CPP, they recognised that the CPP “was clearly more politically skilful than any mere hooligan element could have been”.
But more importantly the CPP’s local organisational ability was proving useful to the government as it prepared the country for its first general election. The CPP assisted with the registration process and the political education campaigns “designed to apprise the population of their rights and the importance and significance of exercising those rights as voters”.
* As plans for the elections to the legislative assembly gathered pace, the CPP put up Kwame Nkrumah, who was still in jail, as the candidate for Accra Central – which now forms part of today’s Odododiodoo Constituency. This decision by the party generated enthusiasm throughout the country.
* The CPP once again achieved a stunning victory in the February 1951 elections. The party won the directly elected urban seats with ten times as many votes as those of the combined opposition, with Nkrumah polling a massive 22,780 of the available 23,122 votes in his Accra Central Constituency.
* In the 33 rural seats elected indirectly through electoral colleges, the CPP obtained 29 seats and the UGCC only three. In the two-member constituency of the Akim Abuakwa, Dr J. B. Danquah and William Ofori Atta barely won their seats: 95-85 votes and 87-83 votes, respectively. Dr K. A. Busia, on the other hand, lost his seat and secured his seat in the Legislative Assembly through one of the seats reserved for the Ashanti Confederacy Council.
* Soon after the elections the CPP wrote to the Governor asking for the release of Kwame Nkrumah.
So that he did not appear to have been forced, the Governor delayed the decision until after the Territorial
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