After 17 years of serving as the General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Kwadwo Asiedu Nketia has decided to hang up his boots at least from this position.
The role of Asiedu Nketia, who is popularly known as General Mosquito, as the General Secretary of the NDC, from 2005, cannot be overemphasized. Under his watch, the NDC has won 2 presidential elections and has also been the majority in Ghana’s parliament on two occasions.
Replacing General Mosquito will no doubt be a tall order for the NDC, given his vast political experience having served as a Member of Parliament for 12 years and a deputy minister for four years in addition to his service as the General Secretary of the NDC.
Some brave members of the NDC have been tipped to replace the outgoing General Secretary, whose tenure is expected to end in about three months.
GhanaWeb takes a look at four of these party members who are likely to fill the 'big' shoes of General Mosquito.
Abdul Ishaq Farrakhan
Abdul Ishaq Farrakhan is one of the names that have been mentioned as a replacement for Johnson Asiedu Nketia. This will 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 even though he lost.
Ishaq Farrakhan, who is 52 years old, previously served the party as its district chairman in the Obuasi Municipality in the Ashanti Region.
In the run-up to the 2014 NDC executive election, Farrakhan can be remembered for saying that he was going to spray General Mosquito with a mosquito insecticide.
In 2018, Abdullah Ishaq Farrakhan was one of 11 people who contested in the party’s Deputy General Secretary elections which he lost to Dr. Peter Boamah Otokonor.
Even though he has not stated his intention, many party folks have indicated Farrakhan is one of the people who can replace General Mosquito.
Fiifi Fiavi Kwetey
Another name that has come up as a replacement for General Mosquito is Fiifi Fiavi Kwetey, the former Member of Parliament for the Ketu South Constituency in the Volta Region in Ghana’s 6th and 7th Parliaments.
Fiifi Fiavi Kwetey, in addition to his role as MP, was the deputy minister of finance, from 2009 to 2013. He was also appointed by former President John Dramani Mahama, to serve as the Minister of State at the Presidency in charge of Financial and Allied Institutions. He also served as the Minister of Food and Agriculture and the Minister for Transport.
Before his roles as MP and minister, Kwetey served as the party’s chairman at the University of Ghana, Legon. He was also an advisor to the late former President Jerry John Rawlings and was also voted as the party’s chief communicator, otherwise known as the Propaganda Secretary. He is now the National Communication Officer.
The former Ketu South MP is yet to confirm whether he will be contesting in the upcoming national election which is slated for December 2022.
Dr. Peter Boamah Otokunor
The current Deputy General Secretary of the NDC, Dr. Peter Boamah Otokunor, has stated his intention of contesting in the NDC’s General Secretary race.
The Deputy General Secretary of the NDC is also 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 which he lost. He has served in various positions in NDC governments including the Deputy Coordinator for the National Youth Authority (NYA).
He had recently worked as the Senior Researcher at the Communications Directorate (Office of the President) prior to being the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the National Youth Authority of Ghana.
Elvis Afriyie Ankrah
Another person who has clearly stated his intention to contest in the party’s General Secretary race is the party’s Director of Elections, Elvis Afriyie Ankrah.
Afriyie Ankrah served as the Deputy National Campaign Manager for the 2008 and National Campaign Coordinator for the 2012 Presidential Campaigns of the National Democratic Congress and 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 Mills. He was the Minister of Sports under former President Mahama and the Minister of State at the Office of the president.
He was a parliamentary candidate in Ayawaso West Wuogon constituency in the December 2000 elections representing the National Democratic Congress which he lost.
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IB/WA
Potential NDC General Secretaries