By Christopher Arko
Accra, Dec. 17 GNA – Ghana’s largest opposition party, the National Democratic Congress, (NDC) is poised to hold its 10th National Delegates Congress on Saturday, December 17, 2022, following months of spirited campaigns by candidates.
The highlight of the event will be the election of the National Chairman, General Secretary and other national executives to lead the party into the 2024 General Election.
Over the period, the campaigns that have generated the most interest are the contests for National Chairman and General Secretary because of obvious power the positions yield and the nature of the key personalities contesting.
The four candidates for the National Chairmanship race are the incumbent Chairman, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, the current General Secretary, Johnson Aseidu Nketiah, Nii Armah Ashietey, a former Greater Accra Regional Minister and former MP for Korle Klottey, and Mr Samuel Yaw Adusei, a former Deputy Minister for Works and Housing and former Deputy Ashanti Regional Minister, under the Mahama administration.
For the General Secretary position, the candidates are Dr Peter Boamah Otokunor, deputy General Secretary, Mr Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, a former Member of Parliament for Ketu South and Transport Minister, Mr Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, a former Minister of Youth and Sports and Ghana’s Deputy Ambassador to China and Mr Abdul Ishaq Farrakhan, a former party chairman of the Obuasi Municipality, who contested Mr Aseidu Nketiah in 2014.
Political commentators assert that the contest for the chairmanship is a straight “fight” between Chairman Ofosu-Ampofo and Mr Aseidu Nketiah, a.k.a. General Mosquito, the longest serving General Secretary of the NDC (17 years).
Both candidates have served in various capacities of the Party and in Government through the years, and emphasise that they are the favourites of the delegates, and thus are cock sure of their resounding victory.
Nii Ashitey also believes that he is the right person to provide the needed leadership for the party to win 2024 General Election, after eight years in opposition.
Also, Mr Adusei has assured delegates that he is the best to inject dynamism into the party’s campaign to take over from the New Patriotic Party.
Picking a successor for the very popular General Mosquito has also attracted the attention of many lovers and followers of politics.
Dr Otokunor, the current Deputy General Secretary, contends that he is conversant with the workings of the office and also intends to bring his rich experience from his role as the Deputy Director of Research of the NDC to that position.
Mr Fifi Kwetey, a former Minister for Agriculture and a Deputy Minister for Finance, plus two-term Member of Parliament (MP) for Ketu South, has also proven to be a force to reckon with.
Again, Mr Afriyie Ankrah highlights that having served in a number of executive positions in the NDC, including a Deputy General Secretary in 2005, he has been well groomed for the position.
Mr Abdul Ishaq Farrakhan is also counting on his years of loyalty to the party and courage to receive the nod this time.
Former Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Dr. Sherry Ayitey, is vying for the Vice Chairman position with seven other candidates.
The incumbent National Communications Officer, Mr Sammy Gyamfi, is going unopposed.
A total of 10,936 delegates from 276 Constituencies are expected to participate in all the activities.
The 10th National Delegates Congress, which will be addressed by Former President John Dramani Mahama and other leading members of the Party, is under the theme: “Rallying for victory 2024; Ghana’s hope”.
Many giants portraits of the candidates and party flags have been mounted at vantage points the Accra Sports Sports Stadium, which became alive with the arrival of enthusiastic supporters to music, on Friday night.
Last Saturday, the Women’s and Youth Congress, held in Cape Coast, retained the incumbent organisers of the party, Dr Hanna Louisa Bissiw and Mr George Opare Addo, respectively.
The Party leadership has assured of tight security to avert any violence as they expressed their disgust over the Cape Coast incident, which nearly marred the election.
Below is the full list of positions and candidates as released by the party:
CHAIRMAN
- SAMUEL YAW ADUSEI
- JOHNSON ASEIDU NKETIA
- SAMUEL OFOSU AMPOFO
- NII ARMAH ASHIETEY
VICE CHAIRMAN
- SHERIF ABDUL-NASIRU
- ABANGA YAKUBU ALHASSAN
- DR. SHERRY AYITTEY
- SETH OFORI OHENE
- AWUDU SOFO AZOURKA
- ALHAJI AMADU B. SOROGHO
- ALHAJI HABIBU ADRAMANI
- EVELYN ENYONAM MENSAH
GENERAL SECRETARY
- ELVIS AFRIYIE ANKRAH
- FIFI FIAVI KWETEY
- DR. PETER BOAMAH OTOKUNOR
DEPUTY GENERAL SECRETARY
- FRANCIS LANME GURIBE
- CATHERINE DEYNU
- BARBARA SERWAA ASAMOAH
- GBANDE FOYO MUSTAPHA
- KWAME ZU
- BRADI PAUL OPATA
- EVANS AMOO
NATIONAL ORGANIZER
- JOSHUA HAMIDU AKAMBA
- HENRY OSEI AKOTO
- MAHDI MOHAMMED GIBRILL
- SIDII ABUBAKARI
- SOLOMON YAW NKANSAH
- CHIEF HAMILTON BINEY NIXON
- JOSEPH YAMMIN
DEPUTY NATIONAL ORGANIZER
- KOBBY BARLON
- HABIB MOHAMMED TAHIRU
- ELIKEM ERIC KEVIN KWAME KOTOKO
- ALHAJI YAW KUNDOW
COMMUNICATION OFFICER
- SAMMY GYAMFI
DEPUTY COMMUNICATION OFFICER
- GODWIN AKO GUNN
- ADONGO ATULE JACOB
- MALIK BASINTALE
- KWAKU BOAHEN ANTHONY
- MOHAMMED NAZIRU
YOUTH ORGANIZER
- BROGYA GENFI
- GEORGE OPARE ADDO
DEPUTY YOUTH ORGANIZER
- OSMAN ABDULAI AYARIGA
- RUTH DELA SEDDOH
- BRIGHT NUDOKPO HONU
- SULEMANA ABDUL KARIM
- MOHAMMED ABUBAKARI SADIQ GOMBILLA
- KABIRU AHMED
- ERIC DADSON
- PENDILOCK OWUSU ASARE
- OBED OPINTAN
- JUDE SEKLEY
WOMEN ORGANIZER
- MARGARET ANSEI
- DR. HANNA LOUISA BISIW
DEPUTY WOMEN ORGANIZER
- ABIGAIL AKWABEA ELORM MENSAH
- FELICIA DZIFA TEGAH
- JESSIE ADAMS
- HAJIA ALIJATA SULEMANA
ZONGO CAUCUS CO-ORDINATOR-
- ABASS ZULKARNAIN KAMBARI
- HON. ALHAJI BABANLAMIE ABU SADAT
- MAMAH MOHAMMED COLE YOUNGER
- ABDUL-AZIZ MOHAMMED
- YAKUBU MAHMUD MUDI
NEC MEMBERS
- EPHRAIM NII TAN SACKEY
- PEREZ FERNANDEZ ARMAH LARYEA
- ISSAHAKU ISSAH ADEL
- REV. IRENE SENA AGBLEKE
- ABDULLAH FARRAKHAN ISHAQ
- MALIK ADAMA
- VICTORIA KUMA-MINTAH
- EMMANUEL EWOENAM YAO ADZOME-DZOKANDA
- CECILIA N. ASAGA
- EBENEZER EFFAH HACKMAN
- NAJAWA ALHAJI ISSAH
- STEPHEN LADZEDO
- ANITA ANNAN
- RANSFORD CHATMAN VANNI-AMOAH
- THOMAS AYISI KUMAH
- WONDER VICTOR KUTOR
- MOHAMMED MAMUDU
- ARABA TAGOE
- FAMOUS KWESI KUADUGAH
GNA