Stop fronting for other parties - PNC flagbearer

flag-bearer of the PNC Mr Hassan Ayariga

The flag-bearer of the People's National Convention (PNC), Mr Hassan Ayariga, has taken a swipe at some members of the party's executive for fronting for other political parties.

Such posturing, he said, was responsible for their lackadaisical attitude to the growth of the party, a situation which had undermined any effort by the PNC to make an impact on the political scene over the years.

He said all that such executive members were interested in was holding major positions in the party and using such recognition to weaken the party's chances, or worse still offer the PNC's support to other political parties for some personal gains, leaving their members confused and disappointed in the long run.

In an interview with graphic.com.gh in Accra, on the apparent differences between the major architects and players in the PNC-CPP merger talks, Mr Ayariga said the era where the party was comfortable with two seats in Parliament and some single digit percentage of the total votes cast for its presidential candidate was over.

Mr Ayariga accused the CPP of its apparent lack of commitment to the merger talks and challenged CPP's National Chairman, Alhaji Ahmed Ramadan, to tell the whole world how a united front would be achieved by the two parties within five months to election.

Alhaji Ramadan had insisted that the merger talks were on course.

But Mr Ayariga said: “This is not the first PNC-CPP merger talks. This time around, I will not allow some greedy few in PNC who are only fronting for some political parties to once again toy with the fortunes of the party for their parochial gains.”

“I contested the congress and won not only to be an arm-chair flag bearer, but to contest the general election and win and be sworn in as the President of the Republic. PNC supporters and members have had enough of these tricks that crop up during every election period just to throw dust into the eyes of PNC supporters. People cannot use the PNC as a bargaining chip,” he added.

Mr Ayariga stated that although the congress mandated the party to go for unity talks with the other Nkrumaist parties, it did not give the National Executive a blank cheque to sacrifice the interest of the party and also allow the other party involved to take the PNC for granted.

A statement issued in Accra Sunday by the National Organiser of the PNC, Mr Emmanuel Wilson, stated that it was the congress, including the flag bearer, that took a decision enjoining the party to hold “Unity Talks” with the CPP for the sole purpose of a united Nkrumaist front.

The statement said that as a follow-up, the National Executive Committee, on April 14, 2012, constituted a unity committee chaired by Mr Gabriel Pwamang, a Vice-Chairman of the party, to liaise with their counterparts from the CPP on how to consummate the unity with reference to working out details for the National Executive Committee of the party to consider.

Mr Wilson explained that the report of the Unity Committee was yet to reach the National Executive Committee of the PNC for consideration.

“From the party's point of view, the Joint Unity Committee is successfully executing its mandate and the PNC is yet to permit any person to officially speak on this issue of unity. As such, any member of the party, irrespective of the position he/ she holds in the party, does not have any mandate to state the party's position on the matter, hence we encourage the public, as well as the media, to treat such [statements from individuals] as not the official position of the PNC, ” Mr Wilson added.

Last Thursday, Mr Ayariga expressed indignation at the decision of the CPP to launch its manifesto for this year's elections.

Expressing surprise and feeling betrayed at the recent development, the PNC flag bearer said the move by the CPP smacked of a stab in the back of the PNC and an infringement on the gentleman's agreement between the two to work towards a common political party.

But in a swift rebuttal, the General Secretary of the CPP, Mr Ivor Kobina Greenstreet, advised Mr Ayariga “to be responsible with his comments and not to do things to score cheap political points because the two parties are still working on the merger. We have every right to go ahead with all activities”.