We didn’t approve press conference on Mahama car gift – PNC

Director of communications of the People’s National Convention (PNC) Emmanuel Wilson has taken a swipe at the party’s national youth organizer for holding what he described as an illegal press conference.

The youth organizer of the PNC, Issahaku Abdulai Wednesday addressed a press conference without permission from the national chairman, as required by the PNC’s constitution.

He had stated at the press conference that the party sees nothing wrong with President Mahama accepting the Ford Expedition gift.

There have been widespread suggestions that the president’s acceptance of Djibril Kanazoe’s Ford Expedition gift constitute a conflict of interest.

The youth wing of the Convention People’s Party (CPP) and an individual have already petitioned the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to investigate the matter.

The New Patriotic Party has also called on Parliament to set up a non-partisan committee to investigate the matter.

But speaking on 3FM’s current affairs program Late Edition in what appears to be a rare show of power, director of communications of the party Mr. Wilson revealed that, the party hierarchy had no knowledge of the said press conference, thereby distancing itself from it.

“The press conference that came up yesterday by the youth wing took the national executives by a large surprise.

“It wasn’t sanctioned by the national executives and the flagbearer wasn’t even aware of it and so we really want to distant ourselves from what the youth did."

“In saying that we are not at this moment stating that the position of the youth wing is true or false but all we are saying is that this is not the position of the party."

“The party did not sanction this because the flagbearer and the national executives are not aware of this and so it is quite unfortunate because we ran a political party where we give so much credence and respect to our leader and flagbearer."

“We meet as executives and we take decisions and I remember when this issue came up the flagbearer was questioned on it and he stated what he thought."

“All I’m stating on authority is that the PNC is distancing itself from the press conference that was conducted yesterday by our youth organiser because it was not sanctioned by the leadership of the party”.