The National Democratic Congress was given an overwhelming majority in Parliament in the 2024 elections and has since been in power for eight months.
Yet the grassroots who worked for the second coming of John Dramani Mahama have begun expressing disappointment. Many of them remain unemployed, not considered for government placements, and are now being mocked in their communities and constituencies as laughing stocks.
In the midst of these frustrations, another political agenda has surfaced. Johnson Asiedu Nketia, the National Chairman of the NDC, has embarked on what he calls a thank you tour. Critics within the party say this is out of place and misplaced, since he should rather be pushing for opportunities for the grassroots who carried the party to power.
Recently, Mr. Nketia was in the Eastern Region where he met with party executives as part of his thank you visit. The move has further heightened suspicion and drawn sharp criticism, with many questioning the motive and relevance of such an exercise when he was not the party’s presidential candidate.
Party members, regional executives, and delegates across the country have questioned the motive behind the tour. They insist that Mr. Nketia has no jurisdiction to undertake a thank you tour on behalf of the president elect or the party’s official campaign team. According to the NDC constitution, it is the presidential candidate and his team who traditionally engage in such exercises after elections, not a party executive.
Discerning party members have accused the chairman of using the tour to advance a personal political agenda. They suspect he is positioning himself for a future flagbearership contest by attempting to influence delegates and executives at the grassroots level.
The suspicion has weight. Asiedu Nketia has risen through many political ranks. He has served as Member of Parliament, Deputy Minister, and long-serving General Secretary before becoming National Chairman. In past interviews he has also said he would not rule out becoming a presidential candidate. With John Dramani Mahama already declaring that he will not run again, speculation about possible successors has intensified.
Currently names such as the Chief of Staff Julius Debrah, Asiedu Nketia, and Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu are circulating strongly among party members. Their supporters have begun using social media to promote their candidates, adding to the perception of an early internal race.
In a related development, a group of NDC polling agents under the name Polling Agents Network of the NDC (PAN-NDC) claim they have petitioned the office of the Chief of Staff, the Deputy Elections Director, and the Minister for Education, who is the former Majority Leader. They also petitioned the Foreign Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa. The group says it has not yet received any official response to its petition, deepening the sense of frustration among the rank and file who believe their sacrifices during the elections have not been acknowledged.
For many in the NDC, the key question now is whether Asiedu Nketia will bow to pressure and retreat from this controversial journey. Critics argue that the tour is unwholesome, unnecessary, and risks dividing the party at a time when unity is most needed. Observers say the outcome of this matter could shape not only Asiedu Nketia’s own political future but also the strength of the NDC as it prepares for the 2028 elections.
By Julius Blay JABS
