Ayariga leads APC to Election 2016
The All People’s Congress (APC) has held its maiden congress and declared Dr Hassan Ayariga as its presidential candidate to lead the party in the November 7, 2016 elections.
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The more than 1,000 delegates who attended the congress also endorsed Dr Ayariga as the leader and National Chairman of the party. The leadership of the party had announced earlier that it expected over 3,000 delegates from across the country.
Eight other national executive members of the party were also elected unopposed to serve various positions in the party.
The national executive members include the First National Vice-Chairman, Mr Emmanuel Carl Bartels; the Second National Vice-Chairman, Mr Oduro Kwarteng; the General Secretary, Mr Razak Kojo Opoku; and the National Treasurer, Mr Kurby Kandoro.
The rest are the National Organiser, Dr King Benjamin Ekuadzi; the National Youth Organiser, Mordecai Thiombiano Lompo; and the National Women’s Organiser, Ms Bliss Atsufui Sosu-Honu.
The delegates from across the country cheered and jubilated when the officials from the Electoral Commission (EC), Mr Daniel Amenyo and Mr Richard Natongba, asked members of the new executives to step forward and declared them elected unopposed.
When Dr Ayariga was acclaimed the 2016 presidential candidate, proceedings virtually came to a standstill as a group of young men rolled on the floor of the hall at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC), chanted songs in the name of the new presidential candidate and waved posters with his images.
The occasion was also used to officially launch the party, which received its provisional certificate of registration on February 10, 2016 and final certificate on April 22, 2016 from the EC.
Dr Ayariga
Later, Dr Ayariga, who sported a smock made in APC colours of green, white and yellow, flanked by his wife, Anita, expressed confidence in winning the 2016 presidential election.
He explained the all-inclusive governance concept of the party, saying “irrespective of your present political standing, religious beliefs, social status or if you are still undecided and so frustrated or disillusioned to the extent that you have given up voting, then you are the one we are calling, come on board.”
He said if given the nod, an APC government would use all the human resource from every part of society to rebuild Ghana.
According to him, the APC believed there was the need to re-engineer and completely overhaul the geo-politics and economic fundamentals of the country.
“We need to go back to the basics, even if it seems moderate or trivial we need to take a second look at our laws , empower state institutions to enforce the laws or ensure that individuals are made responsible,” he said.
He was of the view that the APC, which believed in an industrial evolution in Ghana, wanted an intensification of efforts to re-energise factories and industries that had to be managed by Ghanaians.
“Instead of selling our birthrights, we need a total renewal and transformation of our minds and attitudes,” he added.
Children
Although the commencement of the programme which was scheduled for 8 a.m. delayed for more than three hours, the delegates, who were bussed to the venue from across the country, kept themselves busy with drumming and dancing.
At a point, some people who were below the age of 18 but had claimed to be delegates were driven out of the hall when the media cameras started capturing them.
When the master of ceremonies (MC) for the day, Mr Kafui Dey, mounted the stage to announce the beginning of the congress, the elated delegates, mostly made up of the youth and women, could not hide their joy.
The venue was decorated with the party colours while large banners with bold displays of the symbol of the party, the broom, and the motto, ‘All inclusive governance, “Nkabom ne biakoye” were hung at vantage points from the main entrance of the AICC to the hall where the congress took place.
Political parties
Representatives of other parties, including the Chairman of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), Professor Edmund Delle; the Greater Accra Regional Chairman of the Progressive Peoples Party (PPP), Mr Seth Osmond Nii Kwetia Hammond; the independent presidential candidate, Mr Jacob Osei Yeboah, popularly known as Joy 2012, and the National Organiser of the Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP), Mr John Amega, joined the delegates for the congress.
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Also present were traditional leaders, members of academia and some Zongo community chiefs.
Later, representatives of some political parties took turns to address the delegates.
From the CPP, Prof. Delle said the APC was playing a crucial role in the development of multiparty democracy in Ghana.
He described the leader of the party as a person who had great respect for the leaders of older parties and one who subscribed to the sharing of ideas by all political leaders for the development of the country.
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Mr Hammond, said the PPP was “ready to share experience with you but we encourage you to join our party to achieve the change that we need in this country”.