The Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, says the party’s big win in the 2024 general elections came partly because of difficult but important changes made to its parliamentary leadership.
According to him, those decisions helped make the party stronger and more competitive ahead of the elections.
In 2023, the NDC changed its entire Minority leadership team in Parliament. The move was part of a larger restructuring process within the party, from the grassroots level to the national leadership.
In a letter sent to Parliament on January 23, 2023, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, MP for Ajumako Enyan Essiam, was appointed as the new Minority Leader, replacing Haruna Iddrisu.
Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, MP for Ellembelle, became Deputy Minority Leader, taking over from James Klutse Avedzi.
Kwame Agbodza was also named Minority Whip, while Ahmed Ibrahim and Comfort Doyo Ghansah were appointed as First and Second Deputy Whips.
Speaking on Friday, May 22, about the leadership changes, Mr. Nketiah said the period before the election required bold decisions because of new political challenges.
He explained that he believed the party needed a new “forward line” in Parliament to improve its chances of winning the election.
“New things were emerging and I said that we have to change the forward line of Parliament otherwise it will be difficult for us to win the election,” he said.
Mr. Nketiah said he saw himself as the “coach” of the party going into the election, even though former President John Dramani Mahama initially disagreed with the proposed changes.
“You have elected me as Chairman of this party, I am the coach of the party going into the election so let me make the changes that will win us the election,” he recounted.
He admitted that the decision caused tension within the party and led to public misunderstanding. Some people thought he had personal problems with certain party members.
“There was hell and people started thinking that somebody who has been my friend for more than 20 years has suddenly become my enemy,” he said.
However, he stressed that the changes were purely strategic and not meant to push experienced members aside. According to him, the main goal was to prepare the party for victory in the elections.
After the elections, Mr. Nketiah said he advised President Mahama not to leave out experienced politicians like Haruna Iddrisu and Muntaka Mohammed Mubarak when making government appointments.
He said President Mahama agreed, and both men were later given important roles in government. Mr. Nketiah believes this helped strengthen unity within the NDC.
He also said the 2024 election results proved that the strategy worked, describing the victory as one of the best performances in Ghana’s Fourth Republic.
“We went into the election, and we won. Have you seen such victory in Ghana since the beginning of the Fourth Republic?” he said.
Mr. Nketiah further advised party members to avoid creating divisions within the NDC by forming separate camps or factions.
“If you are forming groups, Haruna groups, Asiedu Nketiah groups that is not our case. The NDC will continue to be one,” he said.
He added that disagreements are normal in politics, but unity is very important if the party wants to continue winning elections and governing successfully.
