Tamale, Oct. 4, (Caesar) GNA - About 650 supporters and sympathisers of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Convention People's Party (CPP) in the Tamale Metropolis have defected to the People's National Convention (PNC).

Major Mahamadu Alhassan Jetumah (rtd), Regional Chairman of the PNC told the GNA in Tamale that the entire membership of about 300 supporters of the Dangmalbu Youth Association (DYA) of the NDC in Tamale has joined the PNC.

He said about 200 supporters of the CPP from the Old Cemetery road and about 120 members of the NPP from other areas also came to register with the PNC, adding that the PNC office was yet to receive a greater number of members mostly from the NDC and the NPP from different areas in the Metropolis.

In an emergency meeting described as "Defection Meeting" with some of the defectors on Friday, Maj. Jetumah described their defection as "Home coming" alleging that P (NDC) came to disorganise the People's National Party (PNP), which is today a root of the PNC.

He commended the supporters for taking the bold initiative to quit the "disappointing" parties to join the PNC, which according to him, was the only alternative choice to the NPP adding, "both NDC and NPP are failures".

Some of the defectors claimed that both NPP and NDC were not peacemakers saying, "Anywhere NPP and NDC members meet they exchange words of war, including their Members of Parliament and some Ministers," adding that they wanted to be with a party in a conducive atmosphere to help build mother Ghana.

According to them, the NPP government during its campaign manifesto promised "Heaven on Earth," including job creation, which now looks elusive and that they could not continue to be with a party that "cannot fulfil its promises".

They gave the assurance that they would work harder than when they were in other parties to ensure that PNC wins not less than half the Parliamentary seats in the 23 constituencies in the Northern Region. Some of the defectors appealed for PNC T-shirts and membership Identity Cards (ID) to be able to win more souls for the party to win the 2004 elections overwhelmingly.