The swashbuckling former General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketiah (General Mosquito), after beating off stiff competition to become the new National Chairman of the party, has promised to sacrifice his blood to ensure that the opposition party wins the 2024 elections.
“You, the delegates of our party, have given us the mandate to secure the second independence of Ghana. We know the path will not be smooth, but we will stand up to the challenge, and we are prepared to sacrifice everything, and I mean everything, including our lives, to make sure this country is delivered,” he said.
General Mosquito, who was in a traditional war smock, whilst delivering his victory speech at the Accra Sports Stadium on Sunday morning after being declared the winner over the incumbent, Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, in a keenly contested election to elect new executives of the party, promised to move heaven and earth to ensure that his administration wins power for the opposition party.
At the end of the polls, General Mosquito, as he is popularly known, garnered 5,574 as against Ofosu-Ampofo’s 2,892. The other two contenders, Samuel Yaw Adusei and Nii Armah Ashiettey, polled 52 and 38 votes respectively.
CAMPAIGN
Asiedu Nketiah’s candidacy surprised many analysts, who thought he would keep his Secretary position. General Mosquito had been the Secretary of the NDC for 17 years. He led a rather loud campaign, making several allegations. Asiedu Nketiah blamed almost everyone who played a role in the NDC 2020 campaign but himself.
Specifically, he took Ofosu-Ampofo to the cleaners, accusing him of supervising what he described as a failed electronic collation of the 2020 general election results. He alleged on several platforms that some national executives were in bed with the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), a situation he claimed affected the NDC in the last elections.
Meanwhile, Mr. Ampofo was confident that he would be retained based upon his track record. He said he led the party to improve its performance from 4.8 million votes to about 6.3 million votes in the 2020 presidential election. He also led the party to increase its parliamentary seats from 106 to 137, and annexed the Speaker of Parliament position for the party.
He said he had that to show for his stewardship, adding that the delegates of the party would retain him as the National Chairman to lead the party to victory in the 2024 general election. Unfortunately, the delegates did not listen to him as he lost the election painfully to his own General Secretary.
OTHER ELECTED EXECUTIVES
At the end of the polls, Awudu Sofo Azorka, Dr. Sherry Ayittey, and Abanga Yakubu Alhassan were elected first, second, and third vice chairpersons respectively.
Former Propaganda Secretary, Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, defeated the incumbent deputy, Dr. Peter Boamah Otukornor, and Elvis Afriyie Ankrah to win the General Secretary position.
The National Organiser votes saw incumbent Joshua Akamba tripping over Joseph Yamin, but the National Communications Officer, Sammy Gyamfi, went unopposed.
The Women’s Organiser, Dr. Hanna Louisa Bissiw, was retained, and Mamah Mohammed Cole Younger was elected Zongo Caucus Coordinator, while George Opare Addo was retained as the National Youth Organiser, but was not sworn in because of a court injunction.
The interim injunction application, filed by his main contender, Brogya Genfi, was to restrain the NDC, the Electoral Commission, and other agents from swearing in the National Youth Organiser-elect. Brogya says he would challenge the validity of Pablo’s election.
ADDRESSES
Former President Mahama, while addressing the congress after the swearing in of the new national executives, said the winners should “cut short the celebration” and get back to work.
He told those elected to be gracious in victory, and urged those who lost to understand that there was a lot of room under the umbrella for everybody. Some 9,200 delegates from the 276 constituencies took part in the exercise, but Mahama and his 2020 running mate, Jane Naana Opoku-Agyeman, did not vote to demonstrate their neutrality.
