Ghana Congress Party

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Ghana Congress Party
Leader Kofi Abrefa Busia
FoundedMay 1952
Dissolved1954
Merger of United Gold Coast Convention and National Democratic Party
Split from Convention People's Party
Merged into National Liberation Movement
Headquarters Accra
1954 elections 1
Election symbol
Blue elephant on a white background

The Ghana Congress Party was founded in May 1952 by Kofi Busia who was also its leader. [1] The party was formed by dissatisfied former Convention People's Party members, along with the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC) and the National Democratic Party, which had both suffered poor performances in the 1951 elections, and soon dissolved. [2] The party contested the 1954 election, winning one out of 104 seats. [3] The party represented the conservative position of the chiefs and intelligentsia who were dominant in the UGCC. [4]

The symbol of the party was a blue elephant on a white background. [5]

After the Gold Coast legislative election in 1954, Busia and others went on to join the National Liberation Movement. [1]

Parliamentary elections

The party performed poorly in the 1954 Gold Coast general election, winning only one seat. A number of well known members of the party lost their seats.

ElectionNumber of GCP votesShare of votesSeats+/-PositionOutcome of election
1954 32,1684.55%1+3rdMinority in parliament. [6]

Kofi Busia, who was in the Legislative Assembly after being elected by the Asanteman Council in 1951, won a seat from the popular vote this time round, winning the Wenchi West seat. J. B. Danquah lost his seat to a relative, Aaron Ofori-Atta of the CPP. William Ofori Atta also lost his Akim Abuakwa West seat to the CPP. Mabel Dove Danquah, a journalist and former wife of J. B. Danquah, became the first elected female member, beating Nii Amaa Ollennu to the Ga Rural seat for the CPP. Edward Akufo-Addo contested the Akwapim South seat but lost. [7]

References

  1. 1 2 "Ghana - Political parties". Advamaeg Inc. Retrieved 2009-07-27.
  2. ↑ "Policy of new Gold Coast party". The Times. 6 May 1952.
  3. ↑ "Elections in Ghana". African Elections Database. Albert C. Nunley. Retrieved 2009-07-27.
  4. ↑ Bourret, F. M. (1960). Ghana: The Road to Independence, 1919-1957. Stanford University Press. p. 260. ISBN   978-0-8047-0400-7.{{cite book}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
  5. ↑ Bob-Milliar, George (October 2014). "Verandah Boys versus 'Reactionary Lawyers': Nationalist Activism in Ghana, 1946–1956". The International Journal of African Historical Studies. 47 (2): 302. Retrieved 9 April 2025.
  6. ↑ Dolf Sternberger, Bernhard Vogel, Dieter Nohlen & Klaus Landfried (1969) Die Wahl der Parlamente: Band II: Afrika, Erster Halbband, p786
  7. ↑ Dokosi, Michael. "The electoral victories and shock losses of the 1954 Gold Coast election". BlakkPepper.com. Retrieved 2 July 2025.


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