Ayariga forms new party, APC

Hassan Ayariga has formed a new political party called the All People’s Congress (APC), on which ticket he intends to run for president in 2016.

Green and cream are the prominent colours of the new party, which has a broom as its emblem.

The EC is expected to grant Mr Ayariga temporary licence to run the new party, as the electoral body verifies all processes of its formation.

Sources within the new party have told ClassFMonline.com that Mr Ayariga has registered more than 170 offices nationwide, so far, to meet the Electoral Commission’s prerequisite of parties having offices in, at least, two-thirds of the country’s 275 constituencies, before being allowed to take part in national elections.

The 2012 presidential candidate of the People’s National Convention (PNC) broke ranks with the party after he was defeated by Dr Edward Mahama at late last year’s primaries.

Mr Ayariga accused the Electoral Commission, which supervised the primaries, and the police, of working against his re-election bid at the national delegates' congress held in the Upper West Regional Capital, Wa.

He told the media that not only will he not congratulate Dr Mahama for winning the polls, but “I am also out of the PNC.”

Multiple-time flagbearer, Dr Edward Mahama, won the flagbearer slot for the fifth time after the congress.

The four-time presidential candidate polled 492 votes against Mr Ayariga's 426 votes. The PNC's electoral fortunes have seen progressive regression from 3% in 1996 to less than 1% in 2012.