The leadership of the People’s National Convention (PNC) will meet next week to either sanction or support their leader, Dr. Edward Nasigre Mahama who has been appointed by the President as Ambassador-at-large.

President Nana Akufo-Addo on Monday, named Dr. Mahama, 72, as Ambassador-at-large among 21 others who have been appointed to represent Ghana as diplomats in other countries. An Ambassador-at-large is an ambassador with special duties but not appointed to a particular country.

But the PNC’s 2016 flagbearer has come under attack from some party leaders for accepting the appointment without consulting to them.  

Though the failed presidential hopeful has explained that his decision to take the appointment was in the interest of the state, the PNC said it is a big insult to them.
 
This is the second time the PNC will be meeting over such a decision after Mallam Issah in 2001, accepted to be Youth and Sports Minister in the John Agyekum Kufuor-led administration without consulting the party.

National Chairman, Bernard Mornah on Wednesday, told Myjoyonline.com that the meeting is likely to come off early next week at which a decision will be reached.

“If he [Mahama] is able to convince us with his decision to accept the position [then] we are likely to support him to carry on with the job.

“However, if we have to go by past precedent where a party officer [Mallam Issah] accepted a post without informing the party, then we could dismiss him,” Mr. Mornah said. 

Dr. Mahama’s predecessor, Hassan Ayariga who broke away to form his All People’s Congress (APC) ahead of the 2016 polls, told Adom News, Tuesday, the PNC leader has brought the name of the party into disrepute for accepting to be a “messenger” for President Akufo-Addo.

Hassan Ayariga

According to him, an experienced politician like Dr. Edward Mahama should not have stooped so low to accept such a position.

His “unintelligent” decision, Hassan Ayariga said, could have a ripple effect on the PNC as a political party.

“If the leader of the party becomes an ‘errand boy’ [then] the whole party becomes an errand party,” he said.

Speaking on the Dwaso Nsɛm program on Adom FM Wednesday, National Secretary, Atik Muhammed claimed veteran politician was informed of the appointment some six months ago (January) and so had all the time to inform the party if he wanted to.

Atik Muhammed

“The normal thing was for him to inform the party and go ahead to accept the position…He said he was informed of the position as far back as January and what prevented him from sharing that information with the party as he is not just any party member but a leader of the party? 

“His [Edward Mahama’s] failure to inform the party before accepting the appointment is deliberate,” he observed.