NDC chairmanship race: I will be very surprised if Asiedu Nketiah wins - Ben Ephson

Pollster, Ben Ephson has said that he will be surprised if the outgoing General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketiah outs the party’s chairman, Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, in the upcoming national elections.

According to Ephson, the results of the NDC’s Women and Youth elections indicates that the party’s delegates are happy with the current national leadership of the party, asaaseradio.com reports.

He added that the delegates are happy with the performance of the current national executives in the 2020 election and do not see the need for them to be changed.

“…The mood and the level of voting in the women and youth elections send a signal; how do you change a team that has done so well between 2016 and 2020? In 2016, Mahama lost the election by about one million votes. In 2020, he lost by about five hundred and fourteen thousand…and if the trend of voting in the women and youth election is an indicator, I will be very surprised if Asiedu Nketiah wins,” he said.

The pollster, however, indicated that the recently leaked audio of Asiedu Nketiah has won him some points with some of the party’s delegates.

“And the audio of Asiedu Nketiah has done him no good. It has only put him out as somebody you will sacrifice the party’s overall benefit for his own personal and selfish gain,” he said.

On the tape recording that went viral, Asiedu Nketiah alleged that the party didn't have concrete evidence during the 2020 election petition to the Supreme Court because of the failure of the Samuel Ofosu Ampofo.

Asiedu Nketiah, affectionately called 'General Mosquito' who appeared to be talking to some NDC members in a closed-door meeting, could be heard accusing and blaming the chairman of the party, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, for the party's shoddy work in relation to the election petition.

He stated categorically that he denied having the results when he stood in the dock during cross-examination at the Supreme Court because the NDC had no evidence to back their claim, and if he hadn't denied it, he would have been disgraced.

Asiedu Nketiah further revealed that lawyer Tsatsu Tsikata, who defended the party, had earlier refused to stand for the NDC because of the lack of concrete evidence but decided to defend the party after the petition was reviewed.

The party's national elections are slated for Saturday, December 17, 2022.

Candidates will be contesting for various positions, including the National Chairman, National Vice-Chairmen, General Secretary, Deputy General Secretary, National Organiser, and Deputy National Organiser, as well as the National Treasurer and Deputy National Treasurer.

Others are the National Communications Officer and Deputy, and the National Zongo Caucus Coordinator.

The current National Chairman of the party, Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, is expected to face stiff competition from the outgoing General Secretary of the party, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, for the chairmanship position.

Watch the second part of Elvis Afriyie Ankrah's interview on GhanaWeb TV below:

Also watch the nomination for the GhanaWeb Excellence Awards Youth Edition below:



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