By Salifu Bagulube Moro,Samuel Obour

Copyright yen

The NDC will hold elections in 2027 to select a new presidential candidate, as President John Mahama will be ineligible to contest in 2028Party bigwigs, including Johnson Asiedu Nketia, Julius Debrah, and Haruna Iddrisu, have already started positioning themselves for the contestAsiedu Nketia’s “thank-you tour” of the Eastern Region has sparked controversy, with leading NDC members debating over itDon’t miss out! Get your daily dose of sports news straight to your phone. Join YEN’s Sports News channel on WhatsApp now!The National Democratic Congress (NDC) will hold elections in 2027 to select a new presidential candidate for the 2028 election, as President John Mahama will be ineligible to contest.As a result, some bigwigs of the party have subtly already started positioning themselves in anticipation of the contest.Hohoe MP, Thomas Worlanyo Tsekpo, clashes with Ras Mubarak, the former Kumbungu MP, over Johnson Asiedu Nketia’s thank-you tour.
Photo credit: Efo Worlanyo Tsekpo & Ras Mubarak/Facebook.Source: FacebookSome of the names being bandied about on social media as potential candidates include Johnson Asiedu Nketia, the National Chairman of the party, Julius Debrah, the Chief of Staff at the presidency, and Haruna Iddrisu, the Minister for Education.Read alsoNDC’s National Chairman Asiedu Nketia kicks off nationwide thank you tourBecause of the jostling for the NDC’s flagbearer position, a “thank-you tour” announced by Asiedu Nketia has stirred controversy within the party.CHECK OUT: Your Opinion Matters — Tell Us How Yen Can Improve and Win Access To The Copywriting Course for Free.Critics suggest that the three-day tour of the Eastern Region by the NDC National Chairman is less about gratitude and more about positioning for a future presidential bid.Ras Mubarak criticises Asiedu Nketia’s thank-you tourRas Mubarak, a leading member of the NDC and former Member of Parliament for Kumbungu in the Northern Region of Ghana, has criticised the move by Asiedu Nketia.He argued that thank-you tours are typically led by presidential candidates after an election to express gratitude to Ghanaians across the country for their support.The former Kumbungu MP suggested that Asiedu Nketia’s tour could be a veiled attempt to advance his presidential ambitions, describing it as a “dangerous precedent.””Thank-you tours are led by candidates (Presidential or Parliamentary candidates, if it’s a constituency tour) who lead a party into an election in partnership with party executives. Never throughout NDC’s history has a National Chairman, after an NDC victory, decided he is going on a “Thank You Tour” aside from what the flagbearer, in collaboration with the party, has done or is doing,” he wrote on his Facebook page.Read alsoNPP to protest against state sponsored harassment and abuse of power”This is a dangerous precedent and an unnecessary distraction to the government. Nobody must be allowed to hide under a “Thank You Tour” to advance their premature presidential ambitions. It’s intolerable, and the Chairman must be bluntly told,” he added.Read Ras Mubarak’s Facebook post below:Hohoe MP rebuts Ras Mubarak’s Nketia criticismThomas Worlanyo Tsekpo, the MP for Hohoe, however, found Ras Mubarak’s criticism of Asiedu Nketia’s thank-you tour to be unfounded.He questioned why Ras Mubarak didn’t petition the General Secretary if he believed Nketia acted wrongly.Read Thomas Worlanyo Tsekpo’s post below|:”I come in peace. If indeed the Chairman is acting wrongly, why not petition the General Secretary to suspend him? You and I know that the NDC is a democratic party, unless you think otherwise, my brother,” he also wrote on Facebook.”As a true party person, you should know that the party’s work does not cease simply because our government is in power. No one has declared an intention to contest any election. It is far too early for such divisions. Let us not start what could divide us,” he further stated.Read also”I told Nana Addo I won’t run again”: Dr Mahamudu Bawumia speaks on events after 2024 defeatHaruna Iddrisu is said to have taken an early lead in the race to replace President John Mahama in 2028
Photo credit: Haruna Iddrisu & John Dramani Mahama/Facebook.Source: FacebookHaruna emerges frontrunner for NDC flagbearer raceMeanwhile, YEN.com.gh reported earlier that Haruna Iddrisu emerged as the frontrunner for the NDC’s flagbearer race, according to a poll by Global InfoAnalytics.National Chairman, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, followed closely with 23 per cent among NDC supporters and 22 per cent nationally.CHECK OUT: Help Us Grow and Get Rewarded! Share Your Thoughts About Yen.com.gh and Unlock A Copywriting Course In A Giveaway. Proofreading by Samuel Gitonga, copy editor at YEN.com.gh. Source: YEN.com.gh