General Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, has reacted to claims that challenging Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo for the chairmanship position will create a rivalry in the party.
According to him, people who share in that thought are ‘fundamentally wrong’ as democracy encouraged competition.
Asiedu Nketiah a.k.a. General Mosquito believes that the contest between him and the current chairman of the party will be a healthy contest where the best ideas will be selected.
He indicated on Accra-based Accra FM on October 13 that election rivalry ought to be expected even though in this instance, he and Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo are allies.
“Which democracy does not have a rivalry, or are we deciding to abandon democracy? People who believe my contest with Ofosu-Ampofo will bring rivalry are fundamentally wrong. That thinking is anti-democratic because proponents of democracy say democracy must bring competition for the best to emerge.
“They also say democracy is the worse form of government but there is no better alternative. This shows that democracy has its shortcomings but its positives outweigh the shortcomings thus you have to live by it.
“If you are running a democracy, you have to live with fallouts from this little little competition. From 2002 till now, every position in the party has been up for a contest. Can you mention one congress in which someone has not contested me?” the NDC chief scribe quizzed.
A former National Organizer of the NDC, Yaw Boateng Gyan, rallied the Council of Elders of the party to block the contest between Asiedu Nketiah and Ofosu-Ampofo.
In his view, the contest between the two will sharply divide the party ahead of the crucial 2024 elections.
"We will need the two in the party going into the 2024 elections, and just as we did for the first time in 1992 in Cape Coast, where the party elected national officers based on consensus, the same can be done with the two," Yaw Boateng Gyan said.
On his part, the former Deputy NDC General Secretary, Samuel Koku Anyidoho, stated that Asiedu Nketiah is unfit to be the chairman of the opposition party.
In a series of tweets, Anyidoho opined that it will be a mistake on the part of NDC to allow Asiedu Nketiah to become the party chairman, stressing that it will mark the ‘burial date’ of the party.
“The day the NDC makes a sacrilegious mistake and allows Asiedu-Nketiah, to become Chmn (chairman) and Leader of the NDC, that will be the END of the NDC. Asiedu Nketiah is NOT fit to be Chmn of the NDC.
“Asiedu Nketiah, has undermined every NDC Chmn he has worked with: Dr. Kwabena Adjei, Kofi Portuphy; Mosquito cannot perfidiously manipulate Ofosu-Ampofo, so mosquito wants to become Chmn. Torfiakwa,” Anyidoho tweeted.
The NDC is currently focused on electing constituency and regional executives after which it will elect national executive officers on December 17.
