ACUP was granted a provisional certificate by the Electoral Commission (EC) in July 2023
The African Continental Unity Party (ACUP) has unveiled a broad Pan-African political vision, declaring its intention to contest Ghana’s 2028 general elections as part of a wider strategy to build a continent-wide political movement driven largely by youth and women.
Ken Ameovi Gbeve, the Interim Chairman of ACUP, who disclosed this, said the party was formed out of the need for African youth to unite around a shared political and ideological purpose.
He explained that ACUP was positioning itself as a vehicle to promote African self-reliance, unity and people-centred governance, starting from Ghana.
“We are not here to make up the numbers. We are here to win political power, starting from Ghana, and to rule Africa beginning from Ghana,” Gbeve said.
“The youth have bought into us, and that is our greatest selling point.”
Gbeve disclosed this in an interview with the media during an “End of Year Pan-African Health Walk” organised by the Party to rally support from the grassroots over the weekend.
He also revealed that ACUP currently had a presence in several African countries, including Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, The Gambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania and South Sudan, with a global coordinating team supporting its expansion.
He confirmed that Ghana would be the party’s first electoral testing ground in 2028.
ACUP was granted a provisional certificate by the Electoral Commission (EC) in July 2023, allowing it to operate pending the fulfilment of all requirements for full registration as a political party.
Under the law, the ACUP is expected to complete all appointments of its executives up to the constituency level.
They are also expected to acquire a national office, regional offices in all the 16 regions and offices in at least two-thirds of districts in each region.
They are also required to draft their own constitution devoid of plagiarising the constitution of existing political parties.
According to Gbeve, those requirements had largely been met, and the party was awaiting gazetting by the EC.
“We have gotten to the zenith of our preparation. When there is a glitch, the EC calls us and we fix it. Now we are only waiting for gazetting,” Gbeve added.
Kwadwo Agyei Yeboah, the Interim General Secretary of the Party, said ACUP distinguished itself from other smaller parties by what he described as an “organised people’s agenda,” aimed at mobilising citizens directly rather than relying on personalities or external influence.
“ACUP is not a party for one individual. The vision is the leader,” he said.
“If ACUP comes to power and fails, then it means the people have failed, because this is the people’s party.”
Yeboah claimed that Ghana’s political stagnation stemmed from repeated alternation between the two dominant parties, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC), without a fundamental reorganisation of citizen participation.
He called on Ghanaians dissatisfied with the status quo to rally behind ACUP as a structured alternative.
He also disclosed the Party’s plan to formally organise substantive national executives after receiving its final certificate from the Electoral Commission, ahead of preparations for the 2028 polls.
Nana Ama Dankwa Konadu, the Interim Women’s Organiser, said ACUP intended to prioritise women by grooming women for substantive leadership and decision-making roles.
“We are not giving women quota. We are grooming women to become a substance of decision-making,” she said.
“In ACUP, every woman counts, and every woman has a role to play before, during and after elections.”
King Augustine Kumakuma Sarpong, the Interim Eastern Regional Chairperson of the Party, described ACUP’s Pan-African agenda as a response to poor leadership and instability across parts of the continent, including the spate of coups in West Africa.
“The future depends on the youth, and ACUP is here to structure things so the youth can advance the cause of Ghana and Africa,” he said.
At the regional level, he pledged to work tirelessly to ensure that ACUP ended the dominance of the two major political parties in the region.
