PNC flagbearer to reconcile expelled Dr Tobiga, others with party

The newly elected Presidential candidate of the Peoples National Convention, Hassan Ayariga, has pledged to unite the party and bring back expelled leading members, including Dr Somtin Tobiga.

Dr Tobiga led some aggrieved members of the PNC who persistently dragged the party to court over leadership disputes resulting in a disruption of the party's timetable to elect a flagbearer.

The party's congress in Sunyani Saturday resolved to dismiss him from the PNC but the newly elected flagbearer says he will reach out to him.

Mr Ayariga, a 40-year-old entrepreneur, beat long serving presidential candidate, Dr Edward Mahama by 57 votes - Mr Hassan Ayariga polled 483 votes while Dr Mahama polled 426 votes.

The party's National Delegates' Congress was delayed for hours Saturday pending the determination of a court ruling which threw away an injunction seeking to stop the elections.

Hassan Ayariga who described his victory at the congress as “Success for all Ghanaians” told Joy News that contrary to perceptions, the PNC is not in crises and that it is his aim to unify all members.

“The party is not in crises, the party is not in disunity, the party is united how it stands, all I am looking for is to unify all members of the party, including Dr Somtin Tobiga. These are people who think that the party must go this way or the other way,” he said stressing, “what we want is numbers, what we want is transforming the people of this party and Ghanaians.”

Meanwhile Dr Somtin Tobiga has indicated he will challenge his expulsion from the party in court.

Speaking to Joy News, he said the party has not communicated his expulsion to him officially and that he heard of his expulsion on the airwaves. “I think that is basically against the law,” he stated.

He said if the expulsion is true, “I can guarantee you we will be heading to court to get it done. Not because I'm so much affected by it but to protect the rule of law, that nobody can act that way … I [will] go to court to get that quashed ...”