, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, has cautioned party members against launching early campaigns for the 2028 presidential flagbearer slot, warning that such moves could destabilise President John Dramani Mahama’s administration and undermine the party’s long-term success.){kind=link}
National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, has cautioned party members against launching early campaigns for the 2028 presidential flagbearer slot, warning that such moves could destabilise President John Dramani Mahama’s administration and undermine the party’s long-term success.
Speaking on Channel One TV, Mr. Asiedu Nketiah reiterated his long-standing call for restraint, stressing that it is too early for succession battles when President Mahama is still in the first year of his new term.
“I keep repeating my caution that we have to be very careful about the way we express our ambitions,” he said. “Whoever succeeds President Mahama will ride on the achievement of the current government.”
He warned that premature campaigning could distract the government from delivering on its promises, potentially weakening the NDC’s chances of securing another mandate in 2028.
“So in your effort to succeed President Mahama, if you conduct yourself in ways that will disrupt the activities of this government—ways that will make the government less successful—then you have a bigger problem,” he cautioned.
Mr. Nketiah reminded party members that President Mahama has been in office for only eight months, making discussions about his replacement not only premature but also politically risky.
“President Mahama is only about eight months in office now and you want to struggle to decide who will replace him—you know what it can cause,” he said.
Acknowledging that several names—including his own—have surfaced in public discourse about the 2028 succession, Mr. Nketiah warned that such speculation, if not carefully managed, could become a major distraction.
“All the names we are hearing—including my own name—we are all occupying very sensitive positions in party and government. If all of us decide today that, ‘Well, people say I can be president, so let me start organising,’ then everybody will be going across the country appointing campaign coordinators. How do you think President Mahama can focus to achieve anything?” he asked.