Government spokesperson Felix Kwakye Ofosu has cautioned that early jostling within the NDC over who succeeds President John Mahama will count for little if the government fails to deliver for Ghanaians.
The Abura Asebu-Kwamankese MP said the governing party’s fate in 2028 would depend on its performance in office and not on personalities seeking to lead the party in the future.
Reacting to concerns raised by Dr Callistus Mahama in a recent article published online, he said the warning against premature succession politics was justified.
“We have all seen it, and his question is timely. What he said is absolutely true. He’s spot on, and I’m on all fours with him,” he said.
According to him, the NDC risks distracting itself from governance if internal ambitions overshadow the task of solving the country’s problems.
“The thing that will convince Ghanaians to give us another mandate is the performance that we put up. It doesn’t matter who you bring to contest,” he stressed.
Mr Kwakye Ofosu argued that Ghanaian voters have become more sophisticated in judging governments since the return to constitutional rule in 1992.
“The Ghanaian people assess the performance of governments and decide whether or not to renew the mandate, and they have done it on four occasions since 1992,” he said.
He added that internal flagbearer contests alone cannot rescue a governing party that performs poorly.
“You can bring an angel, but if the story behind that angel is sordid, he’s not going to get a pass, and people will not vote for him or her,” he said.
The government spokesperson maintained that the best strategy for the NDC was to focus on governance so that whoever eventually emerges as the party’s candidate would inherit a credible record to campaign on.
“You are better off putting up your very best performance, so that in the end, whoever emerges out of your internal process to lead the party has a good story to tell,” he noted.
On whether those already engaging in political mobilisation should step aside from government positions, Mr Kwakye Ofosu said many of them had not formally declared their intentions and could therefore not yet be compelled to resign.
“A time will come when those activities will not be tenable in relation to their positions in government, and then it should be obvious that they have to step aside,” he said.
He referenced former President John Kufuor, recalling how he asked some ministers to resign after openly declaring presidential ambitions.
“But to decide that somebody should step aside when they’ve not made a formal declaration of contestation is a bit difficult,” he added.