Jinsar Abdul-Mathleen and Johnson Asiedu Nketiah
Barely two months into the second term of President John Dramani Mahama, and the subject of who succeeds him in the National Democratic Congress for the 2028 elections is already topical within the corridors of the governing NDC.
Even before President Mahama could be sworn into office, I chanced on a story that basically proposed the now Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, as the most viable candidate for the role post-John Mahama.
Just last Sunday, I came across another story where a prophet was predicting that the venerable Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, the current chairman of the NDC, has been destined by Allah/God to lead the NDC and become president in 2029. I found that news story quite interesting and puzzling primarily because while Asiedu Nketiah has over the years distinguished himself as a shrewd politician who, even in opposition, held the NDC together, his name has not been associated with the presidency.
The closest I remember him getting to the presidency is when he was quizzed during an interview in the lead-up to the 2024 elections if the Vice Presidency role is a position he would jump at if it was offered to him, and he responded in the affirmative.
The story might be surprising, especially because the respected Asiedu Nketiah has often shied away from it and focused on supporting John Dramani Mahama to succeed, even in opposition. But the question that deserves asking is, if Asiedu Nketiah desires to be President of Ghana, what reasons are there to think he would not be a competent and credible candidate for the great NDC?
A former Member of Parliament, minister, and longest-serving executive of any political party under the Fourth Republic, I doubt there is anyone out there in both NPP and NDC with a richer CV than the general.
When Asiedu Nketiah kicked off his political career in the 80s, there were not many people who expected him to survive such a difficult terrain for this long. So for him to still be standing and rubbing shoulders with the current crop is a befitting tribute to his smartness, experience, and selflessness.
The NDC post-John Dramani Mahama needs a unifier, an experienced figure, and someone who is already connected to the grassroots and needs no intensified campaign to sell. No one fits the criteria better than Asiedu Nketiah, who appeals to both NDC and NPP members.
Of course, I’m not unaware of the rise of a young crop of distinguished members of this great party who have their eyes set on that role, but the 2028 election would be about tactics and experience, and we already have that in The General.
It is also worth noting that having had leaders from the Central, Volta, and Northern Regions, time has arrived for the party to extend its foray into the Bono area, and Asiedu Nketiah is, without a shred of doubt, the best candidate from that side.
