Hassan Ayariga, the founder of the All People’s Congress (APC), has revealed that he and his brother, Mahama Ayariga, were chased out of Ghana and forced into exile in Nigeria by the late Jerry John Rawlings.

This experience, coupled with differences in ideology, he said are the reasons he has formed his own political party instead of aligning with the NDC like his brother.

During an interview on the Class Morning Show on Class91.3FM, Hassan Ayariga explained that he and his brother are Nkrumahists and went into exile in Nigeria during the Rawlings era.

He disclosed that upon their return, the NDC approached their family looking for a competent leader to represent them in Bawku, he declined the offer due to his disagreement with the NDC's ideology and their past actions that forced him into exile.

“My brother and I are Nkrumahists, we went on exile to leave in Nigeria because of Rawlings so when they came to our house looking for a competent leader to lead the NDC [in Bawku] they came to our house and said our dad was a very good man who served under Dr Hilla Limann as an MP, so we want from your family one person again to represent the NDC and I told them I’m not interested in a party that sent me into exile, I’m not interested in your ways of ruling this country so you can go with my brother, I’m not going, and my brother decided to go with them. These are stories I’ve kept to myself. I believe in a different ideology and he believes in the NDC that took him to exile.”

Ayariga emphasised that the choice to join different political factions was a matter of personal choice and ideology.

He cited the example of Konadu, the wife of the NDC's founder, Jerry John Rawlings, who left the NDC to form her own party despite her husband's association with the NDC.

Mr Ayariga stressed that everyone has the right to choose their own political path based on their beliefs and interests.