All is not well within the People’s National Convention.
Barely four months to the 2020 general elections, the party is yet to elect its national executives and flagbearer.
Confusion over the date for the party’s National Delegates Congress has compounded the woes of the PNC.
Whereas the National Chairman of the PNC, Bernard Mornah set the party’s National Delegates Congress on September 19, 2020, a separate directive from former flagbearer and leader of the PNC, Dr Edward Nasigrie Mahama, seems to have overturned Mornah’s instruction.
Dr. Mahama has announced a new date for the same congress pushing it to September 26, 2020.
Bernard Mornah in a statement had explained that the date was agreed at the party’s National Executive Commission held on Tuesday, August 18, 2020.
“The National Executive Committee of the PNC at its meeting on Tuesday 18th August 2020 held at the UDS Guest House in Accra has slated the National Congress of the Party to elect a Presidential Candidate and National Executive Officers of the Party for the 19th of September, 2020.”
“In this regard, the Party has officially opened nominations for interested and qualified members commencing 19th August 2020 to 25th August 2020 when nominations would be closed,” the statement from Mr. Mornah indicated.
Mr. Mornah’s statement announced that an 8-member Congress Committee had also been constituted to help fashion out modalities for the congress to be held.
New dates for picking of nomination forms
But Dr. Mahama has also announced new dates for the picking of nomination forms.
“Picking of forms and filing to commence on the 24th of August and ends on the 7th of September 2020 close of day. Vetting committee will commence work on the 10th to the 21st of September 2020,” the statement from Dr. Edward Mahama added.
He also named a seven-member team for the vetting committee and 17 members for the accreditation committee.
He also named members for the media and publicity committee, documentation and validation committee, transportation committee, manifesto committee and constitutional committee.
Congress in limbo
It is unclear the exact date the PNC will hold the congress due to the separate dates announced.
Speaking on Eyewitness News, Ashanti Regional Chairman of the PNC, Abraham Hirohito Kabah questioned the power with which Dr Edward Mahama would issue a new date for the national delegates congress.
“Dr Mahama has no locus whatsoever to organize people to come on to decide what they want for the party and we were looking at the time factor when we were fixing this date because the Electoral Commission has a clear calendar.”
According to him, Dr Mahama failed to show up for a National Executives Committee (NEC) of the party which he and Bernard Mornah planned.
“Before this National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting was scheduled, there was a meeting between Bernard Mornah, the acting General Secretary and Dr Nasigre Mahama where Bernard raised the issue of a zoom meeting for the Friday before the 18th. However, the secretaries and some chairmen came on the NEC platform to indicate that certain chairmen would not be able to activate any zoom meeting.”
He further explained that as a result of the objection, Dr Mahama together with Bernard Mornah agreed on a physical venue and the later was tasked to make arrangements for the venue and to make arrangements for accommodation for NEC members who may not be able to return to their destinations on the same day.
According to Mr Kabah, Dr Mahama later went on a national platform for general members of the party to announce that he had cancelled the meeting because he wasn’t comfortable with people travelling to and from various destinations due to COVID-19.
He indicated that the NEC went ahead to set September 19, 2020, as the date and thus Dr Nasigre can not change the date since he has no power to overturn the decision by NEC.
“I am not the one with Bernard Mornah, it is NEC that is with him. Bernard Mornah did not set the date, it is NEC that did and so he cannot change anything and bring a new date.”
Speaking on Eyewitness News over the issue, National Women’s Organizer of the PNC, Janet Nabla, who backed Dr. Mahama insisted the party currently has no leader.
She argued that Mr. Mornah cannot hold himself as the Chairman of the party since the PNC is yet to elect its leaders following the expiration of their tenure as leaders.
She also accused the National Chairman of the PNC of seeking his own interest and does not have the party at heart.
“In our constitution, there is no way one person can put together a few chairmen and secretaries to overturn the decision of NEC. When NEC met last year, we put together a congress committee and I was part of that committee and all the prices issued by Dr Mahama were approved by that committee.”