The Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, says the party’s sweeping victory in the 2024 general elections was driven in part by difficult but deliberate changes to its parliamentary leadership structure, which he insists were necessary to strengthen the party’s electoral competitiveness.
The NDC in 2023 reshuffled its parliamentary leadership, removing the then entire Minority leadership team led by Haruna Iddrisu as part of what the party described as a broader restructuring exercise from the grassroots to the national level.
Under the changes communicated to Parliament in a letter dated January 23, 2023, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, MP for Ajumako Enyan Essiam, was named Minority Leader, replacing Haruna Iddrisu, while Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, MP for Ellembelle, took over as Deputy Minority Leader from James Klutse Avedzi. Kwame Agbodza was also appointed Minority Whip, with Ahmed Ibrahim and Comfort Doyo Ghansah serving as First and Second Deputy Whips respectively.
Speaking in Tamale in a video sighted by Citi News on Friday, May 22 on the restructuring of the party’s parliamentary leadership, Mr. Nketiah described the period leading up to the election as one that demanded bold strategic decisions in response to emerging political realities.
He said he warned that without changes to what he termed the party’s “forward line” in Parliament, the NDC risked an electoral setback.
“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.
According to him, he had to assume the role of what he called a “coach” of the party heading into the polls, even when there was initial disagreement from President John Dramani Mahama over the proposed changes.
He explained that his mandate as party chairman required him to take responsibility for electoral strategy, including difficult decisions on parliamentary leadership.
“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.
Mr. Nketiah said the decision generated internal tensions and public misunderstanding at the time, with some interpreting it as personal conflict within the party.
“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, stressing that the move was strictly strategic.
He maintained that the objective was to reposition the party for electoral success, not to sideline long-serving members.
After the elections, he said he advised President Mahama that experienced figures such as Haruna Iddrisu and Muntaka Mohammed Mubarak should not be left out of government appointments, a position the President agreed with.
Following the party’s victory, both figures were subsequently appointed to senior roles in government, a move Mr. Nketiah said reinforced unity within the NDC.
He further noted that the outcome of the 2024 election demonstrated the effectiveness of the strategy, describing it as one of the party’s strongest performances in the 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 also urged party members to avoid internal factionalism, warning against attempts to create divisions within the NDC.
“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 emphasised that while internal disagreements are natural in politics, unity remains essential for sustaining electoral success and governing effectively.
