John Mahama, Dr. Kwabena Duffour, Kojo Bonsu and Ernest Kobeah
In approximately a year and 9 months, Ghanaians will go to the polls to make another big decision about who will lead the country’s affairs at the helm of the presidency for 4 years.
While Ghana has quite a number of political parties, the 2 biggest parties – the incumbent New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) are at the forefront of all of these.
Both parties are lacing their shoes to face each other on the day but ahead of that, there will be party primaries to elect a flagbearer who will represent the party and a running mate to assist.
In a few months, specifically, on May 13, 2023, the biggest opposition party in Ghana – the NDC will elect its presidential and parliamentary aspirants for the party, and as such, possible candidates hoping to occupy the various positions have started indicating their intentions.
On Wednesday, February 22, 2023, three candidates – former president and 3-time flagbearer of the NDC, John Dramani Mahama; Former Kumasi Mayor, Kojo Bonsu and Businessman, Ernest Kwaku Kobeah all picked up their nomination forms to indicate their interest in vying for the flagbearership position of the party.
On Thursday, February 23, 2022, former Bank of Ghana Governor, Dr. Kwabena Duffour also picked up his nomination forms for the same position.
If given the nod, the elected candidate will face another from the NPP and other political parties to contest for the presidency in the country.
In this piece, we present a brief profile of all four candidates who have so far picked up forms in the NDC to contest:
John Dramani Mahama:
John Dramani Mahama was born on the 29th of November 1958 in Damongo in the Northern Region.
He received his basic education at Achimota Basic School and later moved to the Ghana Secondary School in Tamale.
He had his university education at the University of Ghana, in Legon, receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in history in 1981. After this, he moved back to Tamale, where he taught history at Ghana Secondary School.
He also did his post-graduate programme in Communication Studies at the University of Ghana and graduated in 1986.
He then proceeded to the Institute of Social Sciences in Moscow to receive a post-graduate degree in Social Psychology in 1988.
He entered politics in 1996 as an MP for Bole Bamboi and was re-elected in 2000 and 2004.
As MP, he was appointed a Deputy Minister for Communications in 1997 and became the Minister for Communications from 1998 until 2001.
He also was nominated as running mate to Prof. John Evans Atta Mills in 2008 and became Vice President in 2009.
In July 2012, he succeeded the late John Evans Atta Mills and was elected as President of Ghana in 2012.
He has since contested as Flagbearer for the party in the 2016 and 2020 elections respectively.
He is contesting again in 2024 to lead the NDC as flagbearer.
Dr. Kwabena Duffour:
Dr. Kwabena Duffour was born in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. He had his secondary education at Prempeh College on a Ghana Cocoa Board Scholarship and then proceeded to the University of Ghana, Legon where he graduated in 1968 with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics, majoring in Statistics and Operations Research.
Dr. Kwabena Duffuor started his working career in July 1968 at the Volta River Authority. He then moved on to Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB) now GCB Bank in February 1969. Dr. Duffour obtained a USAID and African Graduate Fellowship Awards to pursue further studies at the Syracuse University in New York while working at GCB.
He obtained an MBA in Finance and Banking, an MA in Economics in 1975, and a Ph.D. in 1979, all at the Syracuse University.
While preparing for his Ph.D. Thesis, Dr. Duffuor worked briefly with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington DC, USA as an Economist in the African Department.
In July 1995, Dr. Duffuor was appointed the Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana. In July 1997, President Jerry Rawlings appointed Duffuor as the governor of the Bank of Ghana. He held this position till his four-year term ended in September 2001.
He was subsequently appointed Minister of Finance and Economic Planning in 2009 by the John Evans Atta Mills government.
Kwabena Duffuor was a member of the Convention People's Party but was appointed as finance minister in John Atta Mills's National Democratic Congress government in February 2009.
Dr. Kwabena Duffuor exited the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning after completing a full political term with the ruling NDC in February 2012.
He also owns a number of businesses including the defunct Unibank which was affected by the Banking sector cleanup in Ghana.
Kojo Bonsu:
Michael Kojo Bonsu lived at Offinso with his family as a child. He enrolled at Ring Road East for his primary school education, after which he had his Ordinary Level education at the Tamale Secondary School.
His father was a sympathiser of the CPP, and that would have been his party too, but some backdoor jobs he did for the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Kojo Bonsu was a key personality in the Rawlings era and also played a pivotal campaign role for the late John Evans Atta Mills during his 2008 elections.
He landed his first major role in the NDC in 2013 as the Metropolitan Chief Executive (Mayor) for the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly.
He is known as one of the best mayors Kumasi has had considering the significant change he implemented during his administration.
He is also known as a businessman.
Mr Bonsu also served as a board member for Ghana Oil Company from July 2009 to April 2015 and became acting Managing Director of the company after Yaw Agyemang-Duah retired after 16 years.
He served as managing director from July 2011 to February 2012. Mr Bonsu is also the founder and former publisher of Agoo Magazine, an African lifestyle magazine that was launched in 2001.
Ernest Kobeah:
He is the newest in the race in terms of experience particularly. Ernest Kobeah is seeking to contest for the flagbearership position of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
He is 43 years and a businessman based in the United Kingdom.
Ernest Kobeah announced his interest to contest as the NDC Presidential candidate in August 2022 in a post on his Facebook page.
Mr. Kobeah has been living in the UK for over 20 years. He is hopeful his expertise in development will help grow the country.
You can also watch this edition of People & Places here:
WA
