Despite his election as flagbearer of the Peoples’ National Convention (PNC) Dr Edward Mahama has intimated support to any move to merge his party with the Conventions’ Peoples’ Party (CPP) ahead of the 2016 general elections.
Dr Mahama believes that his election as the PNC flagbearer is not a disincentive to any merger talks between the two Nkrumahist parties.
Attempts by leadership of the two Nkrumaists parties in 2015 to have a united front in 2016 have so far proved futile.
[contextly_sidebar id=”R71h1HnH28cvlNU5Pu5WpArCw0uNGKqq”]Speaking to Citi News’ Franklin Badu Jnr after a courtesy call on former President Kuffuor, Dr Mahama said there is precedent to guide the merger.
Dr Mahama cited the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) unlikely alliance with the then Vice President of Ghana, Kow Nkensen Arkaah in 1996, whose National Convention Party had severed their alliance with the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
The NPP hence formed what was christened the “Great Alliance” with the NCP and Vice President Arkaah was nominated to be the running mate of then NPP flagbearer, John Agyekum Kuffuor.
“If you remember, in 1996, NPP and the NCP [National Convention Party] had their flag bearers and they went into an alliance,” Dr Mahama said.
Dr Mahama remained open to the prospect of an alliance between the PNC and the CPP saying, “If there is a desire for us to field one candidate then some arrangements can be made… I have advocated for it [a merger] in the past. I haven’t changed my position.”
Dr. Mahama will be contesting for the presidency on the ticket of the PNC in next year’s general election following his triumph in the PNC presidential primaries.
He triumphed over Hassan Ayariga, the 2012 presidential candidate for the PNC in the recent party congress.
Dr Mahama, prior to 2012, was the PNC flagbearer in the 1996 presidential elections through to 2008.
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By Delali Adogla-Bessa/citimonline.com/Ghana