At least five leading figures of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) have positioned themselves to contest the party’s National Chairmanship at its forthcoming national executive elections.
The contest is expected to become one of the most keenly fought races ahead of the party’s National Congress on December 19, 2026, when new national officers will be elected.
Sources within the ruling party told The Herald that the names being discussed include former National Chairman Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo; former Local Government Minister Akwasi Opong-Fosu; Ghana’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia and long-serving NDC National Vice-Chairman, Alhaji Said Sinare; former Youth and Sports Minister Edwin Nii Lantey Vanderpuye; and Presidential Adviser on the 24-Hour Economy, Augustus “Goosie” Obuadum Tanoh.
The emergence of the five comes as the NDC implements its official roadmap and timetable for the 2026 internal elections, which have so far followed a bottom-up electoral process culminating in the National Congress.
Mr Ofosu-Ampofo, a former National Chairman of the NDC and former Member of Parliament (MP) for Fanteakwa in the Eastern Region, is among the names gaining traction in the race.
More Read
He currently works at the Office of the Vice-President and has previously held several senior positions within the party and government, including serving as District Chief Executive for the Fanteakwa North District.
His experience in the party’s national administration is expected to make him a formidable contender should he formally enter the race. This would be the third time he would be on the ballot. In 2018, he defeated four other contestants, Alhaji Huudu Yahaya, Dan Abodakpi, Betty Mould-Iddrisu, and Danny Annang, to become National Chairman.
Johnson Asiedu Nketiah later defeated Ofosu-Ampofo, winning 5,574 votes (65.17%) to Ofosu-Ampofo’s 2,892 votes (33.81%) at the party’s 10th National Delegates Congress at the Accra Sports Stadium on December 17, 2022.
Another name mentioned is Akwasi Opong-Fosu, a former Local Government Minister and former MP for Amenfi East in the Western Region. He is said to be drawing considerable support from the Western Region.
Mr Opong-Fosu currently chairs the Board of the Ghana Investment Promotion Authority (GIPA).
His background in both party and government circles has also placed him among those being considered for the position.
Alhaji Said Sinare, Ghana’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, is another potential contender.
Alhaji Sinare has served as NDC National Vice-Chairman for more than 17 years, making him one of the longest-serving members of the party’s national executive.
His extensive experience in the party’s national structures could become a major factor in the contest if he decides to enter the race. Many say he is only testing the waters, as he is unlikely to leave his ambassadorial post to contest the election.
Former Youth and Sports Minister Edwin Nii Lantey Vanderpuye is also reportedly interested in the position.
Mr Vanderpuye, a former sports journalist and politician, served as MP for the Odododiodio Constituency and later became Minister of Youth and Sports. He has also served as a Deputy Trade Minister.
His political experience and longstanding involvement in the NDC are expected to feature prominently should he formalize his bid.
Perhaps the most unexpected name being linked to the contest is Augustus “Goosie” Obuadum Tanoh, the Presidential Adviser on the 24-Hour Economy.
Mr Tanoh has a long history with the NDC, although his political journey has included a significant break from the party following the famous Swedru Declaration by Jerry John Rawlings, which made then Vice-President John Evans Atta Mills the NDC’s presidential candidate for the 2000 election.
He later became the leader of the National Reform Party (NRP), which broke away from the NDC in 1999. He is regarded as a thorough and analytical politician.
He contested the 2000 presidential election on the NRP ticket, securing about 1.1 percent of the national vote, before subsequently returning to the NDC fold.
His possible entry into the National Chairmanship contest could therefore inject an unusual dimension into the race, but could equally spark claims of disloyalty.
The Herald understands that the impending contest is already generating divisions within sections of the party, particularly over perceived alignments involving President John Dramani Mahama and outgoing National Chairman Johnson Asiedu Nketiah.
Mr Asiedu Nketiah, who has been one of the longest-serving members of the NDC’s national executive, is reportedly setting his sights on the party’s presidential nomination and is therefore not expected to seek another term as National Chairman.
However, party insiders claim that he has been quietly supporting some individuals believed to be interested in succeeding him.
President Mahama has also been linked to some of the potential contenders, although it is unclear whether he has formally endorsed any candidate.
The competing interests have fuelled speculation over a possible contest between individuals perceived to be aligned with the Flagstaff House and those regarded as loyal to the outgoing National Chairman.
The internal jockeying is also taking place against the backdrop of renewed public debate over whether President Mahama could seek another term in office.
Although President Mahama has repeatedly denied any intention to seek a third term, speculation about the possibility has persisted in political circles, with some countries in Europe and Africa reportedly cited as urging him to seek another term.
Many are pointing to the nomination of three Supreme Court judges, Justices Sophia Bernasko-Essah and Amoako Asante, as well as legal practitioner and former Ghana Bar Association (GBA) President Tony Forson, and the ongoing changes in Parliament, including the removal and replacement of Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga with James Agalga, as developments to keep an eye on.
Some NDC insiders believe that the leadership elections could assume added significance if questions over presidential term limits eventually reach a decisive constitutional interpretation.
Under Article 66(2) of the 1992 Constitution, a person cannot be elected President of Ghana for more than two terms, with each presidential term lasting four years.
However, two separate suits currently before the Supreme Court are seeking an interpretation of the constitutional provision.
One of the suits was filed by Ganiwu Alhassan, a teacher from Kpandai in the Northern Region, while the other was filed by Kenneth Kwabena Agyei Kuranchie, Editor of the Daily Searchlight newspaper.
The plaintiffs are essentially asking the Supreme Court to determine whether Article 66(2) bars a person from seeking the presidency after serving two terms, whether or not those terms were consecutive, or whether the constitutional restriction applies only to two consecutive terms.
Mr Alhassan is asking the court to declare that a person who has served two separate and distinct terms as President, rather than two consecutive terms, remains eligible to contest the presidency again.
He argues that preventing such a person from contesting would violate the Constitution.
He has also pointed to Articles 60(6) and 60(7), concerning a Vice-President who succeeds to the presidency, as evidence that the constitutional term-limit provision should not be interpreted as an absolute prohibition in every circumstance.
Mr Kuranchie is seeking three related declarations concerning the same constitutional provisions.
He wants the Supreme Court to declare that Article 66(2) only bars a person from being elected President after completing two consecutive four-year terms.
He further contends that a substantial break of at least one four-year electoral cycle should reset the eligibility count, and that the constitutional bar should arise only after a person has been elected and served two consecutive four-year terms.
The Supreme Court’s eventual interpretation could therefore have significant implications for Ghana’s political landscape, although President Mahama has consistently rejected suggestions that he intends to seek another term.
For now, however, the immediate political battle is within the NDC itself, with the December 19 National Congress expected to determine who will take over the party’s National Chairmanship and help shape its organizational direction ahead of the 2028 general elections, with the NPP’s Dr Mahamudu Bawumia already waiting, having been elected flagbearer through the top-down approach.
