PNC is dormant — Mornah
The People’s National Convention (PNC) is dormant at the moment because the party’s leader, Dr Edward Mahama, is ‘at large.’
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‘The party is now headless, with no leadership’’.
The National Chairman of the party, Mr Bernard Mornah, disclosed this to the Daily Graphic in a telephone interview.
Ambassador at Large
He stated that since the 2016 flag bearer of the party, Dr Mahama, accepted the position of Ambassador at Large in the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration, the party is struggling to move as a united force.
Mr Mornah said currently, the party was divided as there seemed to be no clear-cut policy direction.
Party constitution
He further explained that since the last party congress which amended its constitution, the 2016 flag bearer became the leader until the next congress to elect new leadership.
“As a National Chairman, therefore, I have a difficulty calling for meetings since it must always be approved by the leader—the 2016 flag bearer.”
Party issues
Mr Mornah described as frustrating and worrying when he calls for meetings to deliberate on national and party issues and they are strangely not approved by the 2016 flag bearer.
“At the moment I don’t see my way clear as to how to sit and strategise with Dr Mahama on how to unseat the current NPP government under President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo who appointed him ‘Ambassador at Large’,” he stated.
Surprise
Mr Mornah said at no point was the party made aware that their leader, Dr Mahama, was going to be appointed as Ambassador at Large.
He explained that it came as a surprise to the party as there was no correspondence between the NPP and the PNC.
Background
The PNC has not found peace with itself and has suspended its General Secretary, Mr Atik Mohammed, for what the party explained as “gross misbehaviour, misconduct and violating the party’s constitution.”
Mr Mohammed was suspended after a vote of no confidence was passed by the National Executive Committee (NEC) at the party's extraordinary meeting held in Accra this year.
The statement signed by the PNC Communications Director, Mr Emmanuel Wilson, indicated that Mr Atik Mohammed was accused of bringing the image of the party into disrepute.
It also cited Mr Mohammed’s repeated invectives against Dr Mahama, at NEC meetings and added that he had also been discrediting Dr Mahama in public after he was appointed Ambassador at Large by the President.
Presidential results for 2016
In the 2016 election, President Akufo-Addo garnered 5,697,093 votes representing 53.80 per cent.
President John Mahama got 4,701,162 votes representing 44.40 per cent.
Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom had 113,240 votes representing 1.07 per cent, Mr Ivor Kobina Greenstreet got 25,076 representing 0.24 per cent.
Dr Mahama was able to capture 20,910 votes representing 0.20 per cent when he staged his fifth come back as presidential candidate of the party which was one of his worst performance.
Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings had 16,549 representing 0.16 per cent.
Parliamentary seats
The PNC at the inception of multi-party democracy was a promising party with four parliamentary seats in the 1996 election. But this was reduced gradually to one in 2012 which was held by Mr Alhassan Azong in the Builsa South Constituency.
However, in the 2016 election Mr Azong lost the seat to Mr Clement Apak of the NDC.