The National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, says the party’s victory in the 2024 general elections was partly the result of strategic changes made to its parliamentary leadership in 2023, including the removal of then Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu and other key figures.

Speaking at a party event in Tamale on Friday, May 22, Mr. Asiedu Nketiah said the restructuring of the NDC’s parliamentary leadership was a difficult but necessary decision aimed at strengthening the party’s electoral prospects.

According to him, the changes formed part of a broader strategy to reposition the party ahead of the 2024 elections.

He said he had warned that without adjustments to what he described as the party’s “forward line” in Parliament, the NDC risked losing the election.

“I said we have to change the forward line of Parliament otherwise it will be difficult for us to win the election,” he said.

Mr. Nketiah said he acted in his capacity as party chairman and “coach” of the electoral strategy team, even amid internal disagreement, including from President John Dramani Mahama at the time regarding the proposed changes.

“You have elected me as Chairman of this party, I am the coach of the party going into the election so let me make the changes that will win us the election,” he recounted.

He acknowledged that the decision generated internal tension and public debate, with some interpreting it as personal conflict within the party, but insisted it was purely strategic. “There was hell and people started thinking that somebody who has been my friend for more than 20 years has suddenly become my enemy,” he said.

Mr. Nketiah maintained that the aim was not to sideline senior members but to strengthen the party’s chances at the polls.

He further said that after the elections, he advised President Mahama to ensure that experienced figures such as Haruna Iddrisu and Muntaka Mohammed Mubarak were included in government, a recommendation he said was accepted.

Following the NDC’s victory, both figures were appointed to senior government positions, which he said helped reinforce unity within the party.

Mr. Nketiah added that the 2024 electoral outcome reflected the effectiveness of the strategy, describing it as one of the party’s strongest performances in the Fourth Republic.

“We went into the election, and we won. Have you seen such a victory in Ghana since the beginning of the Fourth Republic?” he said.

He urged party members to avoid factional divisions, warning against the creation of internal blocs, and stressed that unity remained critical to sustaining the NDC’s success.