By Jonathan Ofori

Copyright asaaseradio

A “thank-you tour” announced by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) National Chairman, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, is stirring controversy within the party, with critics suggesting that the three-day program is less about gratitude and more about positioning for a future presidential bid.

The tour, set to take place from September 17 to 19, 2025, across 16 constituencies in the Eastern Region, is being officially marketed as a follow-up appreciation effort on behalf of the NDC.

Party officials say it is meant to recognize the contributions of executives, cadres, and grassroots organizers who worked tirelessly for the NDC’s victory in the 2024 elections.

But that explanation is being met with sharp scepticism. Party insiders and sources close to the Presidency view the initiative as a thinly disguised early campaign launch by Asiedu Nketia, widely seen as harbouring presidential ambitions for the 2028 elections.

Overlapping tours

The controversy stems mainly from the fact that former President John Dramani Mahama, who led the NDC to victory in 2024, already completed an extensive nationwide “thank-you tour” just two months earlier, in July 2025.

According to many within the party, this makes another appreciation tour not only redundant but politically suspicious.

“This is about optics and positioning,” one Eastern Regional party source told reporters. “By moving around the country under the NDC banner, Chairman Nketia is effectively testing the waters and cementing his presence in constituencies ahead of 2028.”

Party-government friction

The move has also rattled the Presidency, where some senior government officials view the tour as ill-timed. They argue that the NDC government’s immediate priority should be on stabilizing the economy and fulfilling campaign promises, rather than entertaining succession politics barely a year into its term.

“Whatever the fortunes of the NDC will be in 2028 depends squarely on government performance now,” a source close to the Presidency emphasized. “For the next two years at least, all focus should be on delivery, not campaign manoeuvring. Chairman Nketia’s tour risks becoming a distraction.”

This divergence of priorities is reportedly widening a rift between the Presidency and the party leadership, fueling concerns of internal division.

Full itinerary

Despite the criticism, the itinerary remains packed, signaling a high-profile show of strength:

Wednesday, 17 September 2025: Asuogyamang, Lower Manya, Upper Manya, Yilo, and Okere.

Thursday, 18 September, 2025: Akuapem North, Akuapem South, Nsawam, Upper West Akim, and Asamankese.

Friday, 19 September 2025: Akroso, Achiase, Swedru, Akim Oda, Kade, and Akwatia.

Each stop is expected to feature rallies, closed-door meetings, and community engagements. Attendees will include constituency and branch executives, former party officers, coordinators, cadres, chiefs, assembly members, as well as influential groups such as the Drivers’ Union.

Political analysts say the unfolding drama underscores the delicate balance between party politics and governance. With Mahama constitutionally barred from contesting again after 2028, the race for his successor is already quietly in motion.

Asiedu Nketia, a long-time strategist and kingmaker in the NDC, is increasingly being seen as a contender who could attempt to transition from party chairman to presidential candidate.

The tour’s reception—both from the grassroots and the general public—will be closely watched. If embraced warmly by local structures, it could strengthen Asiedu Nketia’s hand in the looming internal contest. If resisted, it risks deepening factional tensions in a party that only recently returned to power.

For now, the “thank-you tour” has become more than a courtesy call—it is shaping up as a litmus test for unity, discipline, and ambition within the NDC.

Johnson Asiedu Nketia was born on December 24, 1956, at Seikwa in the Brong Ahafo region to the family of Kwaku Asiedu. He gained admission to the School of Administration (now the Business School) at the University of Ghana, from which he graduated in 1986.

He’s a former banker, Member of Parliament, and a trained teacher. Asiedu Nketia’s political career started in 1989 when he was elected to represent Seikwa at the first Wenchi District Assembly.

Known as General Mosquito he contested as MP for Wench West constituency and served as MP for 12years.

During his term in Parliament, he served on several committees, including the Appointments Committee, the Finance Committee, the Public Accounts Committee, and as Chairman of the Mines and Energy Committee, as well as Minority Spokesperson on Food, Agriculture, and Cocoa Affairs.

From 1997 to 2001, he served as a Deputy Minister for Food and Agriculture (Crops). During the NDC’s delegate congress in December 2005, he won almost 80% of the votes to become the party’s third General Secretary.

He was re-elected as General Secretary of his party in the congress that took place in January 2010, receiving 93 percent of the votes. He was elected to the Consultative Assembly, which drafted the 1992 constitution.

He was also trained in petty trading, Akpeteshie distilling, palm wine tapping, and running a drinking bar by his uncle.