NDC leadership reshuffle comments no threat to party unity — Analyst

A Senior Lecturer at the Department of History and Political Studies of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Dr Kwasi Amakye-Boateng, has described recent developments within the National Democratic Congress (NDC) concerning changes in the party’s parliamentary leadership as normal political party dynamics that are unlikely to threaten the party’s unity.

According to him, internal competition and factional alignments were common features of democratic political parties and should not necessarily be interpreted as signs of deep divisions within the NDC.

Dr Amakye-Boateng was reacting to comments reportedly made by the National Chairman of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, during the party’s “Thank You” tour in Tamale last Friday.

Mr Nketiah is reported to have stated that the party had to reshuffle its leadership in Parliament in 2023 by replacing the then Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, and the then Minority Chief Whip, Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka.

Haruna’s response

The remarks generated public discussion, particularly following a response by Mr Iddrisu during President John Dramani Mahama’s “Thank You” tour at Damongo in the Savannah Region last Saturday.

Mr Iddrisu, who reportedly addressed the issue in a light-hearted manner, urged party supporters to focus on unity and the broader goals of the NDC.

Commenting on the matter, Dr Amakye-Boateng said Mr Iddrisu’s reaction suggested there was no major tension within the party.

“Actually, I wouldn’t say that it represents an issue coming up in the party.

It’s an issue Haruna has to respond to,” he said.

“And I think his response is captured nicely in a light tone, and the party will move on.

I don’t think there’s a difference in opinion,” he added.

Internal competition

Dr Amakye-Boateng further explained that internal competition within political parties was inevitable, especially as parties prepared towards future elections, such as the 2028 general election.

“The issue of leadership in political parties always brings what I call normal divisions in political parties. It is normal because competition behaves in such a way that you need to choose between one or another person,” he said.

“And so you have people supporting person A, person B, so you have factions.

These are normal,” he added.

The political analyst, however, cautioned that factional differences could become problematic if individuals associated with competing groups failed to conduct themselves responsibly.

“But if the individuals leading the various factions don’t carry themselves properly, then it will become problematic,” he stated.

Party experience

Dr Amakye-Boateng said the NDC, having existed for many years, possessed the experience and institutional capacity to manage such internal developments.

“The NDC has been around for quite some time. It knows how to handle such issues.

I don’t expect anything to get out of it,” he said.

He also indicated that much of the public discourse surrounding the issue remained speculative, as the personalities involved had not openly escalated the matter.

“They have not necessarily come up to present themselves to the Ghanaian public.

All we know comes from Mr Nketiah’s comments,” he stated.