The Peoples National Convention (PNC), on Sunday, registered its disappointment at what it described as "the undemocratic action of the NPP towards the PNC parliamentary candidate for the up-coming by-election for the Bimbilla seat".

In a statement issued at Bimbilla and signed by Mr. Gabriel Twamang, General Secretary of the PNC, it said since the party announced the candidature of Mr. Dominic Ntiwul for the March 15 by-election, he had been subjected to "all manner of undue influence" by the NPP to get him to step down.

It said, "Mr. Ntiwul had been driven in air-conditioned Pajeros and Land Cruisers on several occasions between Bimbilla and Tamale where he had been offered money promises and other inducements to get him to step down".

The statement said the NPP's plan was for Mr. Ntiwul to step down at the last minute to prevent the PNC from fielding a candidate, adding "but the plan has been exposed by PNC intelligence".

The PNC said Mr. Ntiwul had even been persuaded to contest on the ticket of the NPP even though the latter had already announced a candidate. The statement said "these actions amount to serious subversion of the democratic atmosphere we seek to consolidate in this country, which the NPP government had promised to uphold.

These actions are a threat to our young democracy and it is unfortunate that they are coming from the party, which had laid so much claim to democratic credentials".

The maneuvers adopted by the NPP were similar to those of the NDC when it was in power, "but it must be remembered that those tactics of the NDC earned the disapproval of democratic forces in Ghana, hence the party's defeat in the 2000 general elections".

"We take this opportunity to warn the NPP that Ghanaians are watching them if Bimbilla is an example of things to happen in the 2004 general elections, then the party would face the wrath of democratic forces in Ghana," the statement said.

The PNC called on democratic forces in the country to condemn the actions of the NPP and urged them to be vigilant to ensure "the people of the Bimbilla constituency freely choose a member of parliament for themselves".

Meanwhile, latest information reaching the GRi says Mr Ntiwul has defected to the ruling NPP as candidate. In another development, the PNC has filed a writ to retrain Mr Ntiwul from contesting the seat, describing him as a fraudster.

The seat became vacant with the resignation of Dr. Mohammed Ibn Chambas following his election as the Executive of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).