NDC activists back calls for Mahama, Duffuor to support Nii Armah Ashitey

Following a call by some activists of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) for former President John Mahama and former Finance Minister and leading contender for the 2024 presidential ticket of the NDC, Dr.Kwabena Duffuor to support the national chairmanship bid of former Employment Minister, Nii Armah Ashitey, a group of activists in the Northern Region have echoed the call. In a statement released on Thursday, the group, “Northern Democrats for the Restoration of Power to NDC” (NDRP - NDC) said the call by their comrades reflected the mood of many in the party. “Truly, it is the case that the general mood in the party is a resonance of the feeling that the current national executives of the party failed the party in 2020 so that even though we won power, we did not get into government,” said their statement in part. The statement which was co-signed by Muntawakilu Braimah Builsa and 28 others added that, “in the current line of national Chairman wannabes, we see the top men in that very failed national executive there and we think that to ensure that we do not re-elect such failed executives, everybody, especially the leading members of the party should throw their weights behind the new blood.” That “new blood” is Hon. Nii Armah Ashitey, former Minister of Employment in the Mills era. Hon. Ashitey is said to have made his intention known that he will run for the party’s chairmanship, and the announcement has been causing excitement in the party. However, his step also means that he will have to contend with incumbent party Chairman, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo and outgoing General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketia who have lined up for the same position. Earlier, a group of party activists in the Volta Region, led by Wisdom Dzakadzi had made the clarion call on the former President and Dr. Kwabena Duffuor whom many believe will easily win the 2024 elections if the NDC elects him flagbearer, to back Hon. Ashitey. “We have experienced the leadership of Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo and that of Mr. Johnson Asiedu Nketia and believe that the wind of change blowing in the the country naturally calls for the change to start within the party of change itself, the NDC. “We are therefore calling on all party members and especially our leaders, former President John Mahama and Dr. Kwabena Duffuor, who we eagerly look forward to electing as our presidential candidate for 2024, to get on the change agenda and give all their support to Hon. Nii Armah Ashitey,” the statement from the Volta activists had read. Echoing the call, NDRP-NDC said the NDC is now in pole position to win the 2024 election and bring change to Ghana after the NPP government of Akufo-Addo messed up the country. “However, even though the way is paved, we are aware of how the current executives let us down by allowing the NPP to steal our votes. “Even at the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election, Ofosu-Ampofo told us to walk away from the contest after our members had been shot. We don’t want this kind of cowardly leadership anywhere in the NDC again because 2024 is a national duty we must deliver. Therefore, we call on all and sundry to support the new blood in the Chairmanship race.”