NDC Dumps Volta! …Elects Ofosu Ampofo, Asiedu Nketiah & Sammy Gyamfi

Delegates of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in an overwhelming majority yesterday renewed the mandate of Johnson Asiedu Nketiah as General Secretary of the party.

The plain-talker and savvy politician who has been the Secretary of the Umbrella Party for the past12 years secured another four-year chance to be the “Chief Scribe” of the party ahead of the 2020 polls.

He polled 6,643 of valid votes cast to edge out his former deputy, Samuel Koku Sitsofo Anyidoho, former Aide to late President J.E.A Mills who managed 1,655 votes in the election that saw over 9000 delegates casting their ballots.

Koku Out

Many had described the decision by Koku Anyidoho ‘aka “The Bull” to contest the 62-year-old incumbent as risk that could cost him his political future in the largest opposition party.

Asiedu Nketia had endured a barrage of accusation from some party stalwarts including former Central Region Chairman, Bernard Allotey Jacobs, who urged party delegates to vote him out.

But in what appears to be an end to the “Ewe Hegemony” in the party, people of Volta extraction have been denied holding key positions in the party contrary to convention.

Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, former Minster for Local Government and Rural Development beat his closet contender Dan Abodakpi, a former Minister of Trade and Industry for the National Chairmanship for the position.

Mr. Ofosu-Ampofo who has previously served as National Organizer, Vice Chairman and Director of Elections for the NDC beat three other contestants Alhaji Huudu Yahaya, Betty Mould-Iddrisu and Danny Annang,  although the incumbent Kofi Portuphy did not seek re-election.  

‘Azorka Boys’

Mr. Abodakpi is quoted as having said that “My gut feeling is that I will be the next Chairman of this party after the counting is done. Under my chairmanship, we will heal all the cracks in our party. I will lead the charge to truly unite this party. There will be no factions and the only faction that we will have will be the NDC united faction,” he added.

Deputy NDC National Organiser, Akamba Joshua Hamidu also won promotion to the National Organiser position, beating former National Organiser Yaw Boateng Gyan who insists the party had missed his four-year absence.

Former NDC National Chairman Awudu S. Asorka famed for his dreaded ‘Azorka Boys’ as well grabbed one of three slots for National Vice Chairperson.

Agbenyo Crashes

Sammy Gyamfi the Communications Director of Ibrahim Mahama’s Exton Cubic Mining Group won the position of National Communications Officer with 6,225 votes while Fred Agbenyo got 2,225.

Kwaku Boahen also picked up the other slot for deputy National Communications Officer with ex-convict among the three radio personalities on Accra-based Montie FM who were jailed in 2016 for criminal contempt, Godwin Ako Gunn emerged as a deputy National Communications Officer.

Some 65 aspirants vied for various positions to steer the national affairs of the party.

The NDC’s 9th Delegates’ Conference saw the adoption of some motions of amendment to the party’s Constitution and the election of all national executives.

NDC communicators also protested a decision to scrap the election of national communicators.

Many of the party stalwarts including former presidents Jerry John Rawlings and John Dramani Mahama, were also present.

By Jeffrey De-Graft Johnson