PNC The Only Viable Nkrumaist Party — Dr Sontim Tobiga

The People's National Convention (PNC) has stated that it is currently the only viable Nkrumaist party that has remained committed and unadulterated by any political force.

It added that although it was still committed to the unity talks it started with the Convention People's Party (CPP), it would remain focussed and organise its structures in readiness for the 2008 elections, should the CPP remain adamant.

Consequently, the party has released its timetable for national, regional and constituency congresses to elect new party executive and a presidential candidate.

A statement signed by the General Secretary, Mr Gabriel Pwamang,said that the national congress to elect a presidential candidate and national executive had been scheduled for September 28 to 30, 2007.

It urged all regional chairmen to submit their programmes to the national headquarters for the organisation of constituency and regional executive elections as soon as possible.

“We are the proper, legitimate, well organised Nkrumaist party that has remained faithful and committed to the preservation of the Nkrumaist ideals to Ghanaians”, Dr Sontim Tobiga, the National Treasurer of the party said in an interview.

He was explaining why the PNC would not abandon its name, symbol and motto and just merge with the CPP.

According to him, for some reasons, various political parties have infiltrated the rank and file of the CPP, stunted its growth and compromised the CPP's ability to promote and protect Nkrumaist ideals.

He explained that to avoid being subdued by the forces within the CPP and also protect the party from being bought by any external forces, “just as Dr Nkrumah refused to be bought by the West”, the PNC must maintain its presence in any unity agenda.

He said that presently, the CPP was not focused but rather characterised by internal conflicts, while some of its key members, especially Members of Parliament (MPs) owed allegiance to other political parties.

Dr Tobiga added that it was the PNC that sustained the Nkrumaist ideals and never succumbed to any pressure when the CPP was disbanded during the Fourth Republic till it regained its status in 2000.

He again argued that since the 2000 elections, the CPP had been performing abysmally due to internal conflicts and apathy on the part of some of its members, while the PNC had maintained and continued to increase its fortunes.

The CPP and the PNC started unity talks just after the 2000 elections, but the talks had not been fruitful.

Groups like the Patriots in the CPP have kicked against the talks claiming that if the PNC was a true Nkrumaist party they should forget about their names and symbols and just join the CPP, a suggestion which had been vehemently rebutted by the PNC.