An aspiring national chairman of the People’s National Convention (PNC), Asaki Sampson Awingobit, has attributed the party's poor performance in recent general elections to ineffective leadership.

According to him, the inability of past leaders to reconcile with aggrieved party members has led to numerous defections and weakened the party’s standing.

“I’m not sure that any of the leaders have reached out to an aggrieved party member. I’m not sure if they have been to their office or home and said, ‘Let’s have breakfast or discuss the issue.’ We will do that, and that is going to be the new PNC that will attract more members to the party,” Awingobit remarked.

Looking ahead, Mr Awingobit pledged to unify both aggrieved party leaders and members if he wins the chairmanship.

He emphasised a hands-on approach, committing to travel across regions and constituencies to personally reconcile with disgruntled members.

“We are not going to sit in Accra and say we are united; we are going to go to the regions, to the constituency levels, and find out those that are aggrieved. In fact, some of them we will go to their homes to have breakfast with them. We are going to kneel down and plead with them to return to the party. That’s the kind of leader I am going to be to bring unity back to the party,” he vowed.

The PNC, which traces its roots to the People’s National Party (PNP)—the party that produced President Dr. Hilla Limann during the Third Republic—has seen its influence wane since its peak in the early 2000s.

The PNC captured four seats in parliament in the 2004 general elections but lost two of those seats in 2008, struggling to regain its footing in subsequent elections.

To rejuvenate the party, a new crop of leaders, including Mr Awingobit, is vying for national positions to reset the PNC’s trajectory.

The party’s national congress is scheduled for August 31, 2024, where leaders will be elected ahead of the December general elections.

Among the candidates, David Apasera and Bernard Mornah are contesting for the flagbearer position, while Awudu Ishaq is running for General Secretary.

Meanwhile, David Apasera, who is also vying for the PNC's flagbearer ticket, has called on the government to sponsor political parties in preparation for general elections.

He argues that the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) have access to state resources, putting other parties at a disadvantage.

“Politics in Ghana has become a heavily monetary venture and requires intense capital input, which is part of the reason for the delay in organizing this year’s congress,” he stated.

“The two major parties, NPP and NDC, are close to government because they have won elections before, so they have access to resources. Our issue is access to resources. I think that it is good that the state should consider sponsoring very serious political parties.”