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Published: May 22 2026
Published at: 5:06PM
Story by Saibu Terry
Chairman of the National Democratic Congress, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, has revealed that the party’s controversial parliamentary leadership reshuffle ahead of the 2024 general elections was a calculated strategy aimed at securing electoral victory.
Speaking in Tamale, Mr. Nketiah explained that the NDC faced changing political dynamics before the elections and needed what he described as a stronger “forward line” in Parliament to remain competitive.
According to him, the decision to replace the Minority leadership in 2023 was not personal but purely strategic.
“We had to make changes in Parliament because new realities were emerging. Without those changes, winning the election would have been difficult,” he stated.
The restructuring, announced in January 2023, saw Cassiel Ato Forson replace Haruna Iddrisu as Minority Leader. Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah was named Deputy Minority Leader, while Kwame Governs Agbodza became Minority Whip. Ahmed Ibrahim and Comfort Doyoe Ghansah were appointed First and Second Deputy Whips respectively.
Mr. Nketiah disclosed that although the decision initially generated resistance and public speculation about internal divisions, he remained convinced the move was necessary to strengthen the party ahead of the polls.
He noted that even John Dramani Mahama had reservations at the beginning, but he insisted on implementing the changes in his role as party chairman and chief strategist for the election campaign.
“There was a lot of misunderstanding at the time, and some people thought I had personal issues with certain individuals. But the decision was purely about positioning the party to win power,” he explained.
Following the NDC’s victory in the 2024 elections, Mr. Nketiah said he advised President Mahama to include experienced party figures such as Haruna Iddrisu and Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak in government appointments to maintain unity within the party.
He stressed that the appointments reflected the NDC’s commitment to inclusiveness and cohesion despite earlier disagreements.
Describing the election outcome as one of the most significant victories in Ghana’s Fourth Republic, the NDC Chairman urged party supporters to avoid factional politics.
He cautioned members against forming camps around individual leaders, insisting that unity would remain critical to the party’s future success.
“The NDC must remain one family. Differences are normal in politics, but division will only weaken us,” he stated.
