The Western Region branch of the Convention Peoples' Party (CPP) says it has passed a resolution to remove its chairman after he backed a controversial decision to suspend two national officers.

The regional branch says Kwabena Tumi's vote to suspend the General Secretary, Nii Akomfrah and National Youth Organiser, Ernesto Yeboah, does not represent the view of the regional executives.

He becomes the first political casualty after contrary positions on a controversial gift to President John Mahama appears to have triggered internal turmoil in the opposition party that has one seat in Parliament.

While Nii Akomfrah and Mr Yeboah are pushing for the President to be investigated for accepting a controversial gift from a Burkinabe businessman, the Presidential Candidate, Ivor Greenstreet, believes it doesn’t “feel wrong”.

Since then, the Party has suspended the two national officers and referred them to the Disciplinary Committee (DC) for investigations.

But the Committee which is the internal court of the party has exonerated the two. The plot got thicker after the Central Committee (CC) of the party rejected the report of the DC and refused to reinstate the two.

In the latest drama, the CC members who participated in the decision to suspend the two are facing political pressure from the grassroots.

In a statement signed by 18 chairpersons out of the 28 constituencies, the Western regional branch stated four reasons for the removal of their chairman.

They accused him of failing to account for the Party’s funds raised last years and also failing to call for a regional executive meeting for nearly a year.

“Since last year November, no Regional Executive Committee meeting has been conducted,” the statement said.

The regional executives also pointed out that Mr Tumi is a chief and therefore cannot take part in active politics according to Section 276 of the 1992 Constitution.

“He is a chief and Bamuhene of the Akim Achwreso Traditional Council in the Eastern Region and his stool name is Nana Meriku Tumi II," the statement said.

According to the statement, the 1^st Regional Chairman is to take over political leadership of the Party in the Region.

Mr Tumi declined to comment saying the Party's constitution bars him from public commentary on a matter that has not been finally determined.

He, however, revealed he is yet to receive any formal notification from the party regarding his removal from office.