CPP appeals to Mahama to return confiscated party properties

The Convention People’s Party (CPP) has renewed its appeal to President John Dramani Mahama to facilitate the return of properties the party says were confiscated by the state following the 1966 overthrow of Ghana’s first President and CPP founder, Dr Kwame Nkrumah.

The appeal was made by the CPP’s Acting First Vice-Chairperson, Joyce Osei Owusu Larbie, during a ceremony in Accra marking Dr Nkrumah’s 117th birthday.

Speaking under the theme “The Vision, The Legacy, The Future,” Larbie said the party was seeking “justice and restitution; not favour” from the government.

CPP wants its properties back

According to the CPP, it previously owned headquarters and offices in various parts of the country before the properties were taken over following the 1966 coup.

The party says it is currently operating from rented premises on Mango Street in Accra because it no longer has access to those properties.

Larbie argued that the circumstances surrounding the CPP’s properties were different from ordinary political-party financing because the party existed before the Fourth Republic and its assets were allegedly confiscated following a military overthrow and under a military decree.

She therefore urged President Mahama to revisit the matter and facilitate the return of the properties.

‘We are asking for restitution, not favour’

The CPP maintains that the return of its properties would help the party rebuild its organisational structures and strengthen its contribution to national development.

The party has pursued the matter for several years. In 2015, it took legal action against the government over properties it said were seized after the 1966 coup, including Republic House and the Nkrumah Flats at Lartebiokorshie. The case was dismissed in 2019 on issues including the party’s legal capacity and limitation.

The demand has nevertheless remained a recurring issue for the CPP, with the party renewing its call for the return of its former offices and other assets.

The CPP had also previously appealed to successive governments to address the issue as part of what it considers a broader process of historical reconciliation.

Mahama urged to act

Larbie is now calling on President Mahama to honour an earlier commitment to examine the CPP’s petition and take steps towards resolving the longstanding dispute.

For the CPP, the return of the properties is not simply about financial support for a political party but about restoring assets it says were legitimately acquired by its members and forebears before the 1966 coup.

The latest appeal comes as the party continues efforts to rebuild, reconcile and reorganise its structures while keeping Dr Nkrumah’s political legacy at the centre of its activities.