Flag bearer of the All Peoples Congress (APC), Hassan Ayariga, has described as poor judgment, a decision by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) not to invite some political parties for the ongoing Evening Encounters with flag bearers.

This year, the Institute cut out parties without representation in parliament from participating in the presidential debates and the encounters.

But speaking to JOYNEWS, Mr Ayariga said that decision defeats the purpose for which the IEA was set up.

"I don't think the IEA platform determines who wins elections. For us, we have said that we don't want a situation where institutions who are supposed to be deepening democracy is dividing the fronts of the political parties," Mr Ayariga said. 

"The IEA came up with their own way of accepting or engaging political parties that they want and one of it was political parties with representation in parliament," he added.

The APC flag bearer is charging the Institute to give newly formed political parties a platform to also be heard.  

"If you say the National Democratic Congress (NDC), New Patriotic Party (NPP) and Convention People's Party (CPP) are all going to debate, and the situation where the EC decides to crack the whip and the CPP or People's National Convention cannot contest the election, what have you done?" Mr Ayariga quizzed.

He said the IEA is not listening and that is the reason why "we are not part of people who are promoting democracy."

The party says it will stage debates for its parliamentary aspirants to help build their capacity ahead of the November polls. 

Meanwhile, the APC says it’s embarking on a nationwide campaign tour starting next week. Mr Ayariga says he’ll use the tour to conscientise Ghanaians to be bold and speak out against bad governance.

"It is starting in the Greater Accra Region after the Ramadan fast. We will start campaigning meeting with everybody that really matter to the nation. We don't believe in partisan politics; we believe in the principles, the commitments and policies," he said.

According to him, Ghana's suffering is not because the NDC is in power, neither is it suffering because NPP has ruled before, but the rather the nation is suffering from the silence of Ghanaians.

"These are the principles that we think we must begin to look at so that we can move this country forward. We are tired of partisan politics which has plunged this country into a situation that no one can resurrect us," Mr Ayariga stressed.

He urged all Ghanaian to unite in the development of the country because everyone matters in managing the affairs of the nation.