Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, outgoing General Secretary of the main opposition National Democratic Congress, NDC, has stated that the governing New Patriotic Party, NPP, is bent on holding on to power at all cost, including killing. The long-serving NDC scribe made the comments when he officially launched his bid for the party’s chairmanship ahead of the 2024 presidential polls. He cited the twin cases of the Ayawaso West Wuogon bye-election where state security agents were found complicit in violent attacks on opposition politicians as well as the death of eight persons across the country in the aftermath of the 2020 general elections. “For all their, mismanagement and terrible governance, all of us know that the NPP is prepared to kill for power as they demonstrated in Ayawaso West Wuogon attacks and the callous murder of eight souls during the 2020 elections.” He continued: “In their arsenal is a deeply partisan electoral commission that believes their singular duty is to rig elections for NPP and emasculate all other political parties.” According to him, to beat the NPP and the EC, the NDC needs to be properly organized and to also elect an untainted crop of leaders. He outlined attributes that the next crop of national leaders should possess; “fearlessness, trustworthiness, proven temperament, selflessness, discipline, accountability, transparency and emotional intelligence and above all the moral courage to stand up to the marauding NPP in 2024.” He said these were the qualities he brings to the table in the contest for chairmanship. He is expected to come up against incumbent Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo who is seeking reelection. The vote for national executives is scheduled for December this year according to the party’s internal election calendar. You can also watch this episode of People & Places: SARA