The decision by Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketia, the General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to contest the Party’s current National Chairman, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, will not affect the Party.
Mr Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, the Director of Elections, NDC, said the Party was being governed by a democratic system and thus any officer could contest any position once they were eligible.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, Mr Ankrah, a General Secretary hopeful of the NDC, urged the Party to ensure a free, fair, and transparent electoral process to avert any friction.
“I don’t think there will be any friction. Our Party is a democratic Party and so people are free to contest, and whoever wins we move on…People held various positions in the past and people contested and won. So no position is sacrosanct,” Mr Ankrah said.
He added: “If the processes are fair and transparent, and the structure and systems put in place are such that everybody can see that there was a level playing field, it makes it easier for people to deal with the aftermath.”
The NDC will hold its constituency elections between October 22 and 23, 2022, while the regional elections would be held between November 12 and 13, 2022.
The National Congress will be held on December 17, 2022.
Mr Nketia, who had served as Chief Scribe of the NDC since 2005, has publicly announced his intension to run for the National Chairmanship position – a position currently occupied by Mr Ofosu Ampofo.
Although Mr Ampofo is yet to publicly announce whether or not he would seek re-election, sources close to him indicate that he would contest the position when the Party opens nominations.
Mr Ankrah, a former Deputy General Secretary of the NDC, declared his intention to run for the General Secretary position last month.
He said he had contributed to the successes of the NDC over the years having served the Party in various leadership positions for about two decades.
He said he had built strong relationship with the Party base, the youth, religious community, traditional authority, and all relevant stakeholders; making him qualified to assist the NDC to win the next presidential election.
Mr Ankrah, who was the Campaign Coordinator for former President John Dramani Mahama in 2012, urged the NDC to prepare early for election 2024.
He said the NDC must also be “vigilant, aggressive and strong,” indicating that the next election, “is not negotiable.”
