Ayariga for President

David Apasera (2nd left), Hassan Ayariga (Middle) and T.F. Bitie-Ketting (2nd right) at the news conference.
Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Friday February 15, 2011.
A 40 year-old entrepreneur, Hassan Ayariga has entered the race to contest as flagbearer of the beleaguered People’s National Convention (PNC) which Dr. Edward Nasigri Mahama has led for four consecutive elections without success.

The late Dr. Hilla Liman’s PNC which has performed poorly in elections since 1992 is currently beset with serious internal wrangling over which executives should lead the party.

Two factions have been created by Dr. Mahama and Alhaji Ramadan on one side and Somtim Tobiga and others on the other and they are currently slugging it out in court over who has the right to run the affairs of the party.

In the midst of the confusion, Hassan Ayariga who was the party’s Chairman in Europe has entered the fray to present himself as “the unifier” who can restore the PNC’s lost glory.

At a news conference at Christ the King in Accra yesterday, Mr. Ayariga said “ever since former President Liman left the party, the PNC has encountered several challenges which have hindered our collective effort to transform the party into a major political force with significant representation in Parliament.”

He said “the PNC’s share of the national vote in presidential elections have been nothing to write home about so I have decided to play a frontline role in the leadership of the party so that we can collectively restore hope.”

“I want to deliver a new Ghana to our people. I am calling for personal sacrifice discipline and hard work and we will make the PNC a very strong force.”

Mr. Ayariga said he will take steps to reconcile the factions within the PNC to present a united front.

David Apasera, former PNC MP for Bolgatanga who is supporting Mr. Ayariga’s candidature said it is clear that Dr. Mahama’s leadership has failed and there was the need to bring change to the party.

He said the PNC is sinking and it was time for change adding “we cannot sit down for internal wrangling to destroy our great party.”

He said the PNC and CPP merger is a possibility but it was up to the CPP to open its doors well because the PNC has already made compromises in the merger talks.