Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, Chairman of the National Democratic Congress, has made a startling revelation about how Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka and the Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, were removed as Minority Leader when the party was in opposition.
It may be recalled that, ahead of the 2024 general elections, the NDC carried out a major reshuffle in 2023, leading to significant changes in its parliamentary leadership structure.
Under the changes communicated to Parliament in a letter dated January 23, 2023, Cassiel Ato Forson was appointed Minority Leader, replacing Haruna Iddrisu. Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah also replaced James Klutse Avedzi as Deputy Minority Leader, while Kwame Governs Agbodza was appointed Minority Whip, replacing Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka.
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Ahmed Ibrahim and Comfort Doyoe Cudjoe Ghansah were also appointed as First and Second Deputy Whips, respectively.
In a recent video that has surfaced online and sighted by GhanaWeb on May 22, 2026, Asiedu Nketiah, while speaking in Tamale about the restructuring of the party’s parliamentary caucus, disclosed that the major reshuffle was his idea.
According to him, the changes were informed by political dynamics and the need to reposition the NDC for victory in the 2024 general election.
He explained that the reshuffle was not personal but rather part of a deliberate strategy to improve the party’s performance both in Parliament and at the polls.
Further explaining his position, Asiedu Nketiah stated that President John Dramani Mahama initially opposed the removal of individuals such as Haruna Iddrisu and Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka from the party’s parliamentary leadership.
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According to Aseidu Nketiah, he had to act in what he described as a “coach” role for the party going into the election, taking responsibility for difficult decisions on leadership changes.
“I said we had to change the forward line of Parliament; otherwise, it would be difficult for us to win the election. President Mahama disagreed with me, but I said, ‘Look, you elected me as chairman of this party. I am the coach of the party going into the election, so allow me to make the changes that will help us win. When we win, we will all enjoy together,” he said.
Asiedu Nketiah further noted that after the changes in parliamentary leadership, some people within the party assumed he was at loggerheads with Haruna Iddrisu.
According to him, that was never the case, insisting that the changes were purely strategic and aimed at positioning the party for victory.
He also claimed that the NDC’s victory in the 2024 general election remains the biggest electoral triumph since the beginning of Ghana’s Fourth Republic.
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“Then I made the changes. I made my brother, Haruna, and Muntaka step aside, and people started thinking that someone who has been my friend for more than 20 years had suddenly become my enemy. He can never become my enemy. But I am a coach, and I must study how our opponents are playing so I can properly arrange my team for victory.
“When we made the rearrangement and went into the election, the victory the NDC achieved in 2024, have you seen such a victory in Ghana since the beginning of the Fourth Republic? We won. After the victory, I told President Mahama that we could not ignore Muntaka and Haruna in the formation of our government, so they needed to be given major positions. Mahama agreed, and they were given those positions,” he stated.
Asiedu Nketiah also dismissed claims of internal division within the party and cautioned members against forming factions.
“And now we are all working together. So if people in Tamale are forming groups such as Haruna group, Asiedu Nketiah group, and so on, that is your own issue in Tamale; it is not our issue,” he added.
Watch the video below:
@mogadzafi1 Chairman Aseidu Nketiah vrs Haruna Iddrisu. #ghanatiktokers🇬🇭🇬🇭🇬🇭 #tamaletiktokersofficial #viralvideos #trendingvideo #presidentmahama ♬ original sound - Mo Gadzafi
JHM/AM
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