Former President John Dramani Mahama has stated his neutrality in the National Democratic Congress (NDC) upcoming national executive elections.
According to Mr Mahama, his current role in the party does not permit him to pitch camp with a specific candidate.
While addressing a gathering of party executives in the Upper West Region, the party’s 2020 flagbearer stressed that he does not support any candidate currently contesting for a national position.
“I’m the father of the party, and so I don’t have any preferences. Anybody who’s fighting for a position in the party is a person who has served the party. And I leave it to you to make that choice.
“And when you make that choice, we’ll work with who has won and who hasn’t even won. We’ll bring them on board”, Mr Mahama added.
He stressed that the party must unite its ranks ahead of the 2024 polls, hence urged party members to be mindful of their conduct in the upcoming polls.
The upcoming national delegates conference will occur in Accra on December 17, 2022.
Eligible party delegates will elect a new crop of executives to man the party’s affairs at the national level for the next four years.
A total of 81 candidates, according to the National Elections Directorate of the party, went through the vetting and balloting processes to enable them to compete in the elections.
The positions that are up for grabs in the national contest are Chairman, Vice-Chairman, General Secretary and Deputy General Secretary, Organiser and Deputy Organiser, Communication Officer and Deputy Communication Officer.
The rest are Women’s Organiser and Deputy Women’s Organiser, Youth Organiser and Deputy Youth Organiser, Zongo Caucus Coordinator and National Executive Committee members.
The key positions that would be hotly contested are the Chairman and the General Secretary.
Four stalwarts of the party would lock horns in the Chairmanship contest.
They are the incumbent National Chairman, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo; the incumbent General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketia; a former Greater Accra Regional Minister, Nii Armah Ashitey; and a former Deputy Minister of Works and Housing Minister, Samuel Yaw Adusei.
Those who will slug it out for the General Secretary position are the current Director of Elections, Elvis Afriyie Ankrah; a former Minister and MP for Ketu South, Fifi Fiavi Kwetey; and the incumbent Deputy General Secretary, Dr Peter Boamah Otokunor.