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Mahama Must Remain Neutral In NDC Chairmanship Race – Ben Ephson

Pollster Ben Ephson has advised former President John Dramani Mahama to desist from throwing his weight behind any candidate in the chairmanship race of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

According to him, the former president risks having a hard time in his bid to lead the party in 2024 if his preferred candidate loses the vote.

Speaking on Metro TV on September 22, the Managing Editor of the Dispatch Newspaper said the NDC in it current state was suffering political bruises after losing both the 2016 and 2020 elections.

He posited that the party will need a chairman who brings confidence to the grassroots as well as a personality who is well respected in the party.

On the reported Chairmanship contest between incumbent Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo and current General Secretary Asiedu Nketia, he said both were almost at par in terms of longevity and credibility in the party.

He suggested that how the party treats the race will serve as a litmus test in determining how it will perform in the 2024 elections.

“You will need to have a chairman who would be respected across board. You need to have a Chairman who inspires confidence in the grassroots and for the two of them, the nature of their positions, Asiedu Nketia has been General Secretary. He has worked at the various levels in the party.

“He used to be a former Member of Parliament. The same with Ofosu Ampofo – former Member of Parliament, National Chairman. So these two come in with credibility and longevity in the party’s history.

“The party’s performance in 2024 will depend on two main things. How whoever is the flagbearer conducts himself because if John Mahama is the flagbearer for example and he supports ‘A’ and ‘A’ does not win, you can be sure the relationship between Mahama and the person he doesn’t support will not be cordial. I think that for the party’s own future towards 2024, Mahama will have to be as neutral as possible,” Ben Ephson said.

The Managing Editor of the Dispatch Newspaper added however that even if biases are going to be shown, it should done discreetly.

“Even if you are going to support someone you have to do it discreetly because these are leading members with big stature in the party. So the party’s unity and coherence towards 2024 will be how the flagbearer or how the party hierarchy is non-partisan in terms of these two leading members,” he emphasized.

The NDC is expected to elect it national executives on December 17.