Johnson Asiedu Nketia, the National Chairman of Ghana’s National Democratic Congress (NDC), has delivered a powerful message to party faithful who aspire to lead the party after former President John Dramani Mahama must first commit to ensuring his success today.
In an interview with Kwabena Bobie on AccraFM monitored by Kumasimail.com, Asiedu Nketia did not mince words when addressing the growing buzz around who might succeed Mahama as the NDC’s presidential candidate.
He urged members to reject internal polls and speculative surveys that pit candidate against candidate, warning that such distractions risk fracturing the party’s unity at a critical time.
“Anyone who seeks to be President or a messenger must understand that their fate is tied to the success of President Mahama,” he said.
“If we start competing now, it will only breed suspicion, needless rivalries, and could even open the door to corruption. We are on very dangerous ground if we don’t handle this carefully”, he added.
Reflecting on past leadership speculations, if you recall, Asiedu Nketia took a swipe at Paul Adom Otchere, host of Good Evening Ghana, for what he described as “village lotto forecasting.”
Asiedu Nketia recalled how, shortly after the NDC’s 2020 election defeat, media pundits began predicting various presidential pairings, including his own name alongside Mahama’s.
He argued that they could have derailed the party’s rebuilding efforts.
He explained “About three months into Nana Addo’s second term, after we lost the 2020 election, he started saying the next flagbearer could be Mahama vrs Asiedu Nketia, etc. That was when I realized this could create confusion for us.
“That is the reason I threw shade at him, saying his predictions of the NDC presidential pair were like village lotto forecasting. My shade ended that analysis and gave us time to rebuild ourselves because if we had allowed it to continue, we wouldn’t have built our structures for the election”, he emphasized.
When asked about a recent survey by Global Info Analytics on who should lead the NDC after Mahama, Asiedu Nketia acknowledged the role of such polls but cautioned against their timing and impact.
“That’s their work, but how it came about and how party members were discussing it has the potential to create confusion for our gov’t. It’s not about the accuracy or otherwise, but the potential to disrupt the government”, he said.
Source : www.kumasimail.com Kwadwo Owusu
