The former General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, has been elected the National Chairman of the party at the 10th Delegates Congress held in Accra on Saturday.
Mr Nketiah polled 5,574 votes to beat his contender and incumbent National Chairman, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, who obtained 2,892 votes out of 8,679 total valid votes cast.
Two other contenders, Samuel Adusei received 52 votes with Nii Armah Ashittey, the former Greater Accra Regional Minister obtaining 38 votes to place third and fourth respectively.
Until his election as the National Chairman, Mr Nketiah, also known as “General Mosquito” served as the General Secretary of the NDC for 17 years during which the NDC won two elections in 2008 and 2012 respectively.
Mr Nketiah was elected together with former Ketu South Member of Parliament, Fifi Fiave Kwetey as the General Secretary, Joseph Yamin, National Organiser and Sammy Gyamfi, the National Communications Officer who was retained unopposed.
Other executives were Mr Awudu Sofo Azorka, 1st Vice Chairman, Dr Sherry Ayittey, 2nd Vice Chairman, Abanga Alhassan Yakubu, 3rd Vice Chairman and Mamah Mohammed Cole Younger, Zongo Caucus Co-ordinator.
Dr Hanna Louisa Bissiw, Women’s Organiser and George Opare Addo, also known as Pablo were elected on December 10 in Cape Coast.
All the newly elected executives took the oath of office in spite of a court injunction against the swearing-in of Mr Addo over alleged electoral breaches.
Mr Brogya Genfi, who lost the National Youth Organiser obtained an injunction to bar Mr Addo from holding himself out as the National Youth Organiser until the final determination of the case, in which the plaintiff is asking the court to declare the outcome of the December 10 election in Cape Coast, null and void.
In his remarks, Mr Nketiah said the first assignment of the newly elected executives was to unity the rank and file of the NDC.
He said “the 2024 election is not an election of only the NDC but an election to regain the independence of Ghana.”
The National Chairman told the out-going National Chairman, Mr Ampofo, that he still had a role to play in ensuring victory for the NDC in 2024, noting that he cherishes the relationship the two built many years ago.
While thanking the delegates for reposing confidence in the executives, he reminded them that the task ahead was taking the fight to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and wrestle power from them in 2024.
Mr Nketiah said that he acknowledged that the path would not be smooth but urged his colleagues to “sacrifice everything including their lives.”
BY MALIK SULLEMANA & JULIUS YAO PETETSI
