Fresh tensions appear to be emerging within the governing National Democratic Congress following what political observers describe as a subtle but significant response by Education Minister and Tamale South MP, Haruna Iddrisu, to recent comments made by the party’s National Chairman, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah.
The latest development comes days after Mr Asiedu Nketiah publicly claimed that the NDC’s sweeping victory in the 2024 general elections became possible because the party boldly removed Haruna Iddrisu and Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak from the Minority leadership structure in Parliament ahead of the elections.
Speaking during an interaction with party supporters in Tamale, Mr Asiedu Nketiah defended the controversial 2023 parliamentary reshuffle, insisting that changing the “forward line” of the Minority Caucus was necessary to improve the party’s electoral competitiveness.
According to him, the NDC risked losing the 2024 elections if the leadership structure in Parliament had remained unchanged.
“New things were emerging and I said that we have to change the forward line of Parliament otherwise it will be difficult for us to win the election,” he stated.
The NDC chairman further explained that his role as National Chairman required him to make difficult strategic decisions as the “coach” of the party going into the elections.
However, Haruna Iddrisu appears to have responded indirectly to those remarks during President John Dramani Mahama’s ongoing “Reset Tour” in the Savannah Region on Friday.
Addressing supporters at the event, Haruna Iddrisu drew attention to what he described as the “proper” thank you tour of President Mahama, in comments widely interpreted as a veiled swipe at Mr Asiedu Nketiah’s separate nationwide “Thank You Tour.”
“For his thank you tour, not the other thank you tour, the proper thank you tour of President Mahama,” Haruna Iddrisu remarked while addressing the gathering.
He continued by emphasizing that President Mahama’s engagement with supporters represented the official and legitimate appreciation tour of the governing administration.
“The proper thank you tour of President Mahama,” he repeated, before adding, “Not the curtain raiser.”
The remarks immediately triggered political debate within NDC circles, with many party supporters and observers interpreting the statement as a subtle pushback against the growing visibility and political influence of Mr Asiedu Nketiah across the country.
The comments expose underlying tensions within sections of the ruling party over internal power dynamics, succession politics and future presidential ambitions ahead of the 2028 elections.
The controversy comes at a time when Mr Asiedu Nketiah’s nationwide “Thank You Tour” has already generated intense political discussions, especially after critics accused the NDC chairman of using the exercise to position himself for a possible future presidential bid.
Large posters and billboards bearing the image of the NDC chairman have reportedly appeared in several constituencies visited during the tour, fueling speculation about his long-term political intentions.
At the same time, political conversations have also emerged around Haruna Iddrisu’s own future ambitions within the NDC.
Some party insiders believe the Education Minister remains one of the strongest potential contenders for the party’s future presidential race, while others speculate he could eventually align with Chief of Staff Julius Debrah in a possible future leadership arrangement within the party.
Although no official declarations have been made, discussions about succession planning within the NDC have intensified despite President Mahama still being early in his current term of office.
The latest exchanges between supporters of Haruna Iddrisu and allies of Mr Asiedu Nketiah are also reviving memories of the internal controversy that surrounded the 2023 reshuffle of the Minority leadership.
At the time, the decision to remove Haruna Iddrisu as Minority Leader and replace him with Cassiel Ato Forson generated significant tension within the party and sparked widespread criticism from sections of the NDC grassroots.
However, following the party’s electoral victory in 2024, President Mahama appointed Haruna Iddrisu to head the Ministry of Education while Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak was also appointed to a senior ministerial role in government.
Mr Asiedu Nketiah has since insisted that the controversial reshuffle was purely strategic and not motivated by personal hostility.
“There was hell and people started thinking that somebody who has been my friend for more than 20 years has suddenly become my enemy,” he said recently while defending the move.
Despite repeated public calls for unity from senior party leaders, the latest developments are likely to deepen conversations within the NDC over internal competition, influence and the future direction of the governing party ahead of the 2028 elections.
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