Since then, there have been little doubts about the influence and power that Asiedu Nketiah, known commonly as General Mosquito, has brought to the party and its overall political outlook.
With his announced exit, a number of candidates have already started putting themselves up to take up the soon-to-be vacant slot.
From the obvious to the surprise entrants, there have so far been four major names tipped for the General Secretary position of the NDC: Dr. Peter Boamah Otokunor, Abdul Ishaq Farrakhan, Fifi Kwetey, and Elvis Afriyie Ankrah.
In this GhanaWeb article, we take a look at what each of these candidates bring to the table.
This is also to look at what kinds of pedigrees each of these candidates have in helping the party which has been in opposition since January 2017, get a hold of political power once again.
We begin with Dr. Peter Boamah Otokunor:
Dr. Peter Boamah Otokunor is the current Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
As someone in that position, to be vying for the substantive position of General Secretary, Dr. Otokunor brings a lot of firsthand experience to the job. In fact, in the case of all the contenders, he is most likely the most knowledgeable about the workings or otherwise of the office.
He also brings in experience from his role as the Deputy Director of Research of the NDC, and the Registrar for the Ghana Institute of Social Democracy (GISD).
Dr. Otokunor previously contested in the NDC primaries for the Ablekuma Central Constituency parliamentary seat in 2015 and lost.
Previously, he served as the Deputy Coordinator for the National Youth Authority (NYA) under the John Dramani Mahama government.
Fifi Kwetey:
Fifi Kwetey is not a novice in the NDC party and surely not an easy contender in this race.
He is the former Member of Parliament for Ketu South: the constituency considered as the NDC’s ‘world bank’ for votes and support in the country.
After serving as MP for two consecutive terms, he backed out on his own, focusing his energies into other commitments.
But on what he brings to the table of the General Secretary slot of the NDC, his influence as a former MP is not the only quality there is.
Fifi Kwetey’s knowledge in finance and economic matters is something that cannot be overstepped.
This is evidenced in the fact that he was the Deputy Minister of Finance from 2009 to 2013, under the presidency of John Evans Atta Mills of blessed memory.
Under the presidency of John Dramani Mahama, his previous work and experiences earned him the appointment as the Minister of State at the Presidency in charge of Financial and Allied Institutions.
The outspoken, articulate former MP also once served as Ghana’s Minister of Food and Agriculture, and Minister for Transport.
Fifi Kwetey has however not held any direct party executive position but there is no doubt that within the ranks of the party, he is quite popular and commands quite a following.
Elvis Afriyie Ankrah:
The next person on GhanaWeb’s list is Elvis Afriyie Ankrah.
This candidate is yet another strong contender for the position of the General Secretary slot of the NDC and he brings as much to the table.
Elvis Afriyie Ankrah has served in a number of executive positions of the NDC including being elected Deputy General Secretary in 2005.
He is the current Director of Elections of the party and also served as the Deputy National Campaign Manager in the 2008 elections.
He was also the National Campaign Coordinator for the 2012 presidential campaigns of the National Democratic Congress for both Presidents John Evans Atta Mills and John Dramani Mahama.
He was also appointed Deputy Minister at the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development by President John Atta Mills. And then again, he was the Minister of Sports under Mahama, and then a Minister of State at the Office of the President.
Elvis Afriyie Ankrah was also a parliamentary candidate in the Ayawaso West Wuogon constituency election of December 2000 elections, although he lost.
So, without a doubt, the competition this candidate brings to the General Secretary of the NDC race is one that will give all others a real run for their monies.
As an experienced politician, Elvis hopes to take over Asiedu Nketiah’s job and if it is anything to go by, his energy makes him perhaps, the best fit to take over the General Secretary position from the outgoing executive; who has equally exhibited a lot of energy in his role.
Abdul Ishaq Farrakhan:
Finally, another candidate vying for the position of General Secretary of the NDC is Abdul Ishaq Farrakhan.
Mentioned as a possible replacement for Johnson Asiedu Nketiah even though he is yet to officially state his bid to run, it is worth mentioning that in terms of political clouts, Farrakhan is the least most competitive candidate in this race so far.
This will however not be the first time Abdul Ishaq Farrakhan has been tipped to be the General Secretary of the NDC.
In 2014, he was the only person who dared to challenge General Mosquito for the party’s General Secretary position, losing out comfortably.
The 52-year-old previously served as a district chairman in the Obuasi Municipality in the Ashanti Region.
In 2018, Abdul Ishaq Farrakhan was one of 11 people who contested in the party’s Deputy General Secretary elections and lost to Dr. Peter Boamah Otokunor.
The boldness and consistency in trying to lead the party at the level of the General Secretary position is one of the qualities that this candidate brings to the table.
It however remains an open contest with the possibility for any kind of surprises and GhanaWeb will continue to keep its eyes and ears close to the NDC and report all updates to its readers.
AE/WA
These are the candidates who have expressed interest in the race so far