We continue with our review of some significant political activities of 2019.

NPP inaugurates standing, ad hoc committees – April 27, 2019

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has appointed 15 new members to its Council of Elders and officially inaugurated all the standing and ad hoc committees of its national council.

The move was in line with measures by the leadership of the NPP to further position the party strongly to execute its tasks.

The members of the Council of Elders are Dr Kwame Addo-Kufuor, Dr Amoako Tuffour, Mr J.K. Mensah aka Dr Musa, Prof. Dominic Fobih, Mr Ato Hamilton, Mr Kwesi Abeasi, Dr Francis Akuamoah Boateng, Madam Sussie Mensah, Dr Quartey Papafio Glover, Rev. Prof. Asante Antwi , Mr Mahami Salifu, Alhaji Amadu Aminu, Dr Donkor Fordjour, Mr Kwadwo Antwi Adjei and Mr Kwadwo Afari.

The committees include Finance, Organisational, Research, Disciplinary, Vetting, Dispute Resolution, Welfare, Elections, and Events and Conference.

NPP founder member C.K. Tedam dies – April 26, 2019

The Chairman of the Council of Elders of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr Clement Kubindiwor Tedam, has passed on at the age of 94.

Mr Tedam, who is a founder member of the NPP and former member of the Council of State, was said to have died in his sleep at his residence at Mamprobi in Accra on Thursday night.

The 94-year-old was among the early political torchbearers from the then Northern Territories.

NDC, NPP agree on scope of dialogue on disbanding vigilantism in Ghana – April 29, 2019

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) have agreed on the scope of the dialogue on disbanding vigilantism in Ghana.

According to the National Peace Council, the two parties have decided on key stakeholders and experts to be involved in the dialogue process.

This was contained in a communique signed by the Chairpersons of the two parties, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo (NDC) and Freddie Blay(NPP) and Nana S.K.B. Asante of the National Peace Council (NPC)

NDC constituency chairman shot dead in Upper West Region – May 9, 2019

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) constituency chairman for the Dafiama Bussie Issa Constituency in the Upper West Region, Mr Poulabong Bayiilela Richard aka Chairman Water, has reportedly been shot dead by unidentified persons.

The incident was said to have occurred on Monday night at Sagu on the Wa-Tumu Road in the Upper West Region.

NCA shuts Radio Gold, XYZ – May 10, 2019

The National Communications Authority (NCA) Thursday shut down Radio Gold and Radio XYZ, two private radio stations based in Accra for allegedly operating illegally.

According to the NCA, the licence of Radio Gold expired in 2000, while that of Radio XYZ expired in 2016 but they failed to renew them, as required by law.

Prof. Edmund Delle resigns as CPP chairman; Hajia Hamdatu Ibrahim takes over – May 25, 2019

The National Chairman of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), Prof. Edmund Delle, has resigned from the position.

He resigned from the chairmanship of the CPP following the ancestral call for him to lead his people as the Paramount Chief of the Nandom Traditional Area.

Following his resignation, the First National Chairman of the party, Hajia Hamdatu Ibrahim, has been elevated to act as the CPP national Chairperson.

President Akufo-Addo assents to RTI Act which comes into effect January 2020 – May 22, 2019

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo made history Tuesday when he assented to the Right to Information (RTI) Act to guarantee Ghanaians the right to access public information.

It took two decades to see the birth of the law, after the bill had been drafted in 1999.

Before picking up his green ink pen to sign the act, which he described as “a significant piece of legislation”, the President declared that the law must enhance the quality of governance in the country and provide a critical tool in the fight against corruption in public life.

Charlotte Osei gets UN Elections Commission job in Afghanistan – May 27, 2019

The United Nations (UN) has appointed Mrs Charlotte Osei as one of its international advisors to support the work of Afghanistan’s electoral management bodies.

The South Asian country held its presidential elections in September 2019.

Mrs Osei’s appointment was reportedly confirmed by a Presidential Decree issued by the President of Afghanistan, Ashraf Ghani.

NDC Chairman Ofosu-Ampofo picked up by police – June 11, 2019

The National Chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, was picked up by the police.

He was arrested in Accra and was sent to his house for a search as part of police investigations.

The arrest followed Ofosu-Ampofo’s refusal to honour an invitation to report to the Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) to assist in investigations into the recent spate of kidnappings and arson in Ghana.

EC must expunge names of dormant political parties— Council of State – July 1, 2019

The Council of State has urged the Electoral Commission to find ways to expunge the names of defunct political parties from its records.

According to the council, that would ensure that only vibrant political parties were allowed to operate within the country’s political space.

In the view of the council, there were rules and regulations that governed the operations of political parties and, therefore, their non-conformance to those rules should lead to the revocation of their licences.

Parliament passes Vigilantism and Related Offences Bill – July 23, 2019

Political vigilantism has been outlawed in the country following the passage of the Vigilantism and Related Offences Bill, 2019 into law by Parliament.

Parliament voted unanimously in favour of the passage of the bill when the Speaker of Parliament, Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye, put the question to a voice vote.

The Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Ms Gloria Akuffo, laid the bill in Parliament on April 11, 2019 under a certificate of urgency and the Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, which deliberated on it, unanimously agreed that it was of an urgent nature.

NDC will win 70% of parliamentary seats in 2020 polls - Haruna Iddrisu – July 20, 2019

The Minority Leader and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) for Tamale South in the Northern Region, Mr

Haruna Iddrisu, has predicted that the NDC will win 70 per cent of parliamentary seats in the 2020 general election.

Mr Iddrisu said this when he submitted his nomination forms to contest the Tamale South parliamentary primary at the constituency office in Tamale last Thursday.

US Speaker Pelosi and delegation in Ghana – July 28, 2019

The Speaker of the House of Representatives in the United States, Ms Nancy Pelosi and a Congressional delegation arrived in Accra to hold high-level discussions with President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the Speaker of Parliament, Prof. Mike Oquaye, and other senior government officials.

They were met at the Kotoka International Airport by Prof. Oquaye, the U.S. Ambassador to Ghana, Stephanie S. Sullivan, Ghana’s Ambassador to the U.S., Dr Baffour Adjei-Bawuah, and some Members of Parliament, as well as other dignitaries.