National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, has called on the entire membership of the umbrella family to unite and position the party for victory in the next general election.
The leader of the NDC acknowledged there had been post-election “little problems” in the party but pledged to “put things in order”.
To him, the party was well-positioned to form the next government after the 2024 elections and cautioned that any crack that will be allowed to deepen could cost them the opportunity to be in government to show Ghanaians that they are capable of governing in the interest of the people.
READ ALSO:
Confusion
The party, in recent times, seems to be divided after the election petition verdict early this month, when the party’s case was thrown out and President Nana Akufo-Addo held as validly elected as the president of the country.
The straw that broke the camel’s back was when the Minority Caucus in Parliament approved all ministerial nominees of President Akufo-Addo to the chagrin of the footsoldiers of the party who had warned that some nominees, who showed violent tendencies during the first term of the New Patriotic Party government, be disapproved.
The party’s National Communications Officer, Sammy Gyamfi, who sided with the millions of party members, heavily criticised the leadership of the party in Parliament, including Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Bagbin, Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu; Minority Chief Whip, Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak and described them as traitors.
“Some have sold their conscience but ours is intact. And we can work together to rebuild the party from the ashes of 3 March 2021, which I call ‘Black Wednesday’ – our day of self-inflicted shame.
“This is the time for us to insist on the right changes in the leadership of the NDC group in Parliament or forget about them completely. The current leadership has lost their moral authority to lead and are not fit to sit on the front bench of the NDC side of the House,” Mr Gyamfi said in a Facebook post.
Bagbin fires back
As hundreds of thousands of footsoldiers of NDC bare their teeth at their leadership in Parliament, Mr Bagbin, also hit back at Mr Gyamfi and warned NDC comrades not to expect him to do the party’s bidding with his current position.
In an interview with Class FM, Mr Bagbin stated he is the Speaker of Parliament for Ghana and not the party so they will be disappointed if they expect him to use his office to serve the party’s interest.
“Recently in the media, on social media, in particular, you have heard the blistering attack on me when I did not play any role apart from presiding [over the business of the House].
“Because I say I belong or came from a party, does he [Sammy Gyamfi] think I’m at the beck and call of the party?” the former Nadowli-Kaleo Member of Parliament added.
Call for calm
However, Mr Ofosu-Ampofo believes hot tempers will not unite the party regardless of who is right.
He indicated that Ghanaians were looking up to the NDC to manage its internal affairs well to be able to “save” Ghanaians from the bad governance of the Akufo-Addo government.
“The Minority met us and they have apologised for what happened so we have to let sleeping dogs lie. The work they are to do just begun so let’s not attack them,” the NDC leader told host Mugabe.
He rather wants the millions of party members to start encouraging other members not to despair but forge forward to safeguard the gains of the party in the past years under the leadership of former President John Mahama.
He said the NDC did not lose the elections so NDC members should be proud of their gains in the last elections.