We’ll contest 2016 Polls - PPP

The Progressive People's Party (PPP) has sent the strongest signal of its preparedness to contest the 2016 presidential election with the view to wrestling power from the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) government.

Consequently, it has dispelled rumours that the party will not participate in the November 7, 2016 polls whiles describing such rumours as “false and without any basis.”

The party, therefore, called on PPP members, supporters and the general public to disregard any such claims, insisting that it [PPP] “has not made any decision NOT to contest the 2016 presidential election.”

The PPP has been spearheading a move for a coalition of like-minded individuals and political parties to present a common front to bring about a change of government during the November 2016 polls.

In what the party said was in the national interest, it has delayed the processes of picking a presidential candidate for the 2016 elections whiles still exploring the possibility of a coalition.

However, in a statement issued and signed by the party’s National Secretary, Murtala Mohammed, in Accra yesterday, the PPP said its stated deadline for such an agenda “remains the end of this month, February.”

The party noted with concern that whiles it was working in the national interest, some political parties and their supporters have interpreted the PPP’s coalition stance as a sign of “weakness” and “a decision not to field a presidential candidate” as well as “a willingness to help some party to win the 2016 election.”

“There are even people going around and asking our men not to bother campaigning for the party because we are coming together with them. We want to state emphatically that these are all not true and a wicked propaganda,” the statement emphatically declared.

It said “the PPP has prepared its strategy for the 2016 campaign; we have opened and closed nomination for the presidential race; we are electing strong parliamentary candidates; we have put in place a high powered national parliamentary campaign team led by the National Secretary; we will convene a National Convention to present our Presidential Candidate and Campaign Team; and we aim to cause the biggest political upset in Ghanaian history this year.”

The PPP further stated that it is “united, disciplined and focused on selling its good message to Ghanaians.”

“We have the best policy priorities to present to the voters. We have assembled the best men and women who will give the best leadership to Ghanaians from January 2017. We are the only party committed to changing the 1992 Constitution to empower the people to elect their own DCEs, separate the executive from the legislature and separate the office of Attorney-General from that of the Ministry of Justice. We are the only political party focusing on job creation and determined to make all Ghanaian state institutions buy from local businesses,” the statement concluded.