Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu has sparked fresh debate within the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) after appearing to take a subtle swipe at the party’s National Chairman, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, over ongoing post-election outreach activities.
Speaking in Sawla in the Savannah Region on Friday, May 22, Mr. Iddrisu drew a distinction between President John Dramani Mahama’s nationwide thank-you tour and a separate outreach being undertaken by Mr. Asiedu Nketiah. He described the President’s tour as the “proper” appreciation effort of the party.
“I recall when President Mahama came for his thank you tour — not the other thank you tour — the proper thank you tour of President Mahama as President and flagbearer,” Mr. Iddrisu stated.
He went further to suggest that alternative efforts lacked the same legitimacy, adding: “What cannot be said? We can say it. A proper thank you tour of President Mahama, not the curtain-raiser one.”
Though Mr. Iddrisu did not directly mention Mr. Asiedu Nketiah by name in his remarks, the comments have widely been interpreted as a veiled critique of the NDC chairman’s own thank-you tour, which has taken him to various parts of the country, including Tamale.
The remarks come at a time when internal discussions within the NDC have resurfaced over decisions taken ahead of the 2024 general elections, particularly the controversial parliamentary leadership reshuffle. The changes saw Mr. Iddrisu removed as Minority Leader and replaced by Cassiel Ato Forson as part of what party leadership described as a strategic reorganisation.
Mr. Asiedu Nketiah has consistently defended that decision, recently arguing during his outreach that the reshuffle was necessary to strengthen the party’s electoral chances. According to him, the NDC needed a new “forward line” in Parliament to effectively challenge the then-governing New Patriotic Party.
Despite the backlash that followed the reshuffle at the time, the NDC went on to secure victory in the 2024 elections. Both Mr. Iddrisu and former Chief Whip Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak have since been appointed to key roles in the Mahama administration.
Mr. Iddrisu’s latest remarks, however, are likely to reignite conversations about lingering tensions within the party, as well as the broader issue of unity and reconciliation following the internal disputes that preceded the elections.
While some party supporters view the comments as a candid expression of unresolved concerns, others see them as a potential flashpoint that could deepen divisions if not carefully managed by the party leadership.
