I will not criticize Dr Mahama - PNC Presidential aspirant

WA, Sept. 17, GNA - Prof Yakubu Saaka, a presidential aspirant of the People's National Convention (PNC), said he would never criticize Dr Edward Mahama, the PNC leader, even if he decides to contest again to lead the party in the next elections.

"Dr Mahama has sacrificed enough to keep the name of the party alive and I will not use any platform to criticize him like what politicians in other parties are doing just because I want to be leader".

Professor Saaka, a Deputy Foreign Minister in the late Dr Hilla Liman's government and now domiciled in the USA, said this when he presented himself as a prospective flag bearer of the party to party functionaries at the Upper West Regional delegates' conference of the Party held at Wa on Saturday.

He said worked closely with Dr Mahama as presidential candidate during the past elections and believed it was now time he took over from him to lead the party to victory in 2008.

Prof Saaka mentioned lack of resources as the bane of the party and promised to use his contacts and international connections to mobilize funds to build the PNC to a winnable political force for the next elections.

"There is goodwill for the party but we are not giving people the opportunity to sell the party to make it attractive for people to join". Dr Edward Gyader, a leading member of the party, objected to the assertion in certain political circles that the PNC was a party for northerners and said if that assertion was right, the party would have used a shea tree as its symbol and not a coconut tree. "If a hotel is put up by a Sissala man it does not mean that only northerners should patronize that hotel even if it is the best around." He said there was some truth in describing the PNC as a poor party but ironically it had rich human resources that could propel the nation out of its numerous socio-economic problems if it was given the chance to govern.