ASIEDU NKETIA STIRS CONTROVERSY IN TAMALE SOUTH, DEFENDS REMOVAL OF HARUNA AND “THE _OTHER GUY” MUNTAKA
NDC National Chairman Johnson Asiedu Nketia is currently on a nationwide tour widely described by political observers as a flagbearer campaign in disguise — and his stop in the Tamale South constituency, the stronghold of his key rival Haruna Iddrisu, has ignited fresh controversy.
During his visit, Asiedu Nketia unapologetically revisited one of the most divisive decisions of his chairmanship — the January 2023 removal of Haruna Iddrisu as Minority Leader and Muntaka Mubarak as Minority Chief Whip. Speaking directly in the backyard of one of his biggest competitors in the looming NDC flagbearer race, Nketia declared he acted on personal conviction, showing no remorse for the reshuffle that rocked the party.
Most strikingly, the NDC Chairman referred to Alhaji Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka — a senior and widely respected parliamentarian — dismissively as “the other guy,” a remark that has since sparked outrage among party faithful and political commentators.
“We are making the changes as part of the reorganization of the party ahead of the 2024 general election…everybody knows that the election will be fought on the economy, so we put our best economic foot forward.” — Johnson Asiedu Nketia
The timing of the visit raises eyebrows. Asiedu Nketia has been on a nationwide “thank you” tour, though polls suggest it has had limited impact in expanding his support base, with only marginal gains recorded. (asiedu-nketia-leads-ndc-flagbearer-race-but-ato-forson-closes-gap-global-infoanalytics) In the Northern Region specifically, Haruna Iddrisu commands 35 percent support, while Asiedu Nketia trails at 26 percent–(asiedu-nketia-leads-ndc-flagbearer-race-but-ato-forson-closes-gap-global-infoanalyti) — making his visit to Tamale South a bold political gamble.
The latest polls show Asiedu Nketia leading the overall NDC flagbearer race with 28 percent, but in a direct head-to-head with Haruna Iddrisu, he leads with 42 percent against Iddrisu’s 22 percent, with a significant 36 percent undecided.
To many, Nketia’s remarks in Haruna’s own constituency — defending the sacking and casually dismissing Muntaka — read less like a chairman’s reconciliation tour and more like a calculated power move ahead of the 2028 flagbearer race.
The NDC’s internal tensions, it seems, are far from resolved.
BY: Salifu Haruna
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