Otokunor and 2 others declare intention to contest NDC General Secretary position
Three stalwarts of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) have so far declared their intentions to contest for the General Secretary position of the party.
They are the incumbent Deputy General Secretary, Dr Peter Boamah Otokunor; a former Minister of State, Franklin Fiifi Fiavi Kwetey, and the Director of Elections of the party, Elvis Afriyie Ankrah.
The three, who confirmed their intentions to run for the position in separate interviews with the media, said their motivation was to return the NDC to power in 2024, inspire confidence in the youth and revive the spirit of patriotism among young men and women in the country.
They all said they had what was needed to return the party to power after serving in various capacities in the party and in government.
Messrs Kwetey and Ankrah, who served as Ministers of State in the Mills and Mahama administrations, said the time was apt for them to serve their party in the capacity of General Secretary and lead it to victory in the 2024 election.
Dr Boamah, for his part, reiterated the fact that he was the rightful person to be given the nod to serve as the party’s General Secretary after working closely with his boss and current General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketia.
The intention of the three to go for the General Secretary position follows the decision by Mr Asiedu Nketia not to go for re-election after serving in the position for 17 years (2005 to date).
The position of General Secretary is seen as one that would be hotly contested for as the party prepares to go for its national congress on December 17, 2022.
Although nominations for the various national positions is yet to be opened, all eyes are on the General Secretary position but at the end of the day, it is the party’s delegates who will determine the one to serve in that capacity ahead of the 2024 general elections.
Others
Other names have popped up as possible contenders but they are yet to declare their intentions. These are a former Member of Parliament for Adentan, who was also a former Deputy General Secretary, Kofi Adu Asare; a former branch executive of the Obuasi constituency and a former Tertiary Education Network (TEIN) executive member for University of Ghana, Abdullah Ishaq Farrakhan and Yaw Boateng Gyan, a former National Organiser.
Mr Farrakhan contested Mr Asiedu Nketia in 2014 for the position of General Secretary but lost.
Mr Asiedu Nketia has made the General Secretary position very attractive as during his tenure, he was able to lead the party to wrest power from the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the 2008 election and retained it in 2012 but lost to the NPP in 2016 and 2020 general elections.
Mr Asiedu Nketia, affectionately called General Mosquito, is seen as a political colossus in the NDC and, therefore, anyone who seeks to succeed him must have the clout, experience and ability to galvanise the grassroots of the party for victory in the 2024 general elections.
Source: Graphic online
