Former President John Dramani Mahama yesterday told members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) at the just ended 10th Delegates Congress that the decision by delegates is the first step towards victory for the NDC in 2024.
He said this in a congratulatory message to the newly elected party executives and delegates at the Accra Sports Stadium after the election and swearing-in of same.
The NDC went to the polls on Saturday to elect new leaders to steer the affairs of the party until 2026.
President Mahama left the Stadium before voting commenced on Saturday and returned on Sunday morning to wish the elected executives success.
Upon his return, the former President received a rousing welcome by party members who stayed awake throughout until the results of the elections were announced by the Electoral Commission.
President Mahama urged the elected executives to cut short the celebration and face the task ahead of the party in order to win political power in 2024.
His rallying calls before and after the election was unity and the need for all to put their shoulders to the wheel to take back power from the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
The former President maintained a neutral posture which was why he did not take part in the voting process.
President Mahama was yet to declare his intention to contest in the primaries which takes place next year.
Although, he enjoys good will among the rank and file of the NDC, he would face competition from Dr Kwabena Duffour, the former Minister of Finance and Economic Planning under the late President, Professor John Evans Atta Mills and Sylvester Mensah, the Chief Executive of National Health Insurance Scheme.
The NDC is the biggest opposition party in Ghana. The party was formed in 1992 and won four elections respectively in 1992, 1996, 2008 and 2012.
The party is seeking to re-energise its support base in order to capture political power in the 2024 general elections.
In the 2020 general elections, the party put up one of its best performance garnering more than 6million votes and obtained equal number of seats in Parliament as the NPP, and an NDC Speaker of Parliament.
With the new crop of executives, a mixture of both young and old, it remains to be seen whether the party could turn things around for victory in 2024.
But supporters of the party are optimistic about victory in the 2024 general election, as some argue that the new leaders are competent formidable and resilient.
BY MALIK SULLEMANA & JULIUS YAO PETETSI
