Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mustapha Gbande, has urged party members harbouring presidential ambitions to suspend their plans and focus on supporting President John Dramani Mahama to successfully deliver on his mandate.
Gbande cautioned that early manoeuvring for the party’s future flagbearer position could undermine the current administration and distract from governance priorities.
According to him, the NDC government is only 15 months into office, making it premature for individuals within the party to begin positioning themselves for the next presidential race.
He argued that any attempt by party figures to market themselves for future leadership roles at this stage risks obstructing President Mahama’s efforts to govern effectively and fulfil the expectations of Ghanaians.
Gbande stressed that the party’s immediate focus should be on governance, job creation, and delivering on campaign promises in order to secure public confidence and strengthen the NDC’s chances of retaining power in the next election.
He maintained that internal competition and political calculations should take a back seat until the government has firmly established its record in office.
“Whoever wants to be flagbearer, you are not bigger than the party. It doesn’t matter what position you carry, and when it is time for the party to crack the whip on what constitutes a distraction, it will be done regardless of who is involved,” he stated.
“The pockets of ambitions constitute an absolute distraction to our mandate,” he said, adding that discussions about future flagbearer contests are premature and counterproductive.
He stressed that attention should not be on who may succeed President John Dramani Mahama in the future, but on supporting the current administration to succeed.
“It’s not about whether the national chairman is interested, or whoever is interested, or the Chief of Staff is interested… that is not a conversation. The conversation is that one and a half years into government, anything presidential ambition constitutes the highest form of disorder,” he said.
His comments come amid growing speculation within political circles over possible succession ambitions within the governing party.
Recent discussions have centred on claims that the NDC National Chairman, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, may be using his ongoing “Thank You Tour” to subtly position himself ahead of future internal contests.
Similarly, Chief of Staff Julius Debrah has also been linked to speculation about possible presidential ambitions, with some observers suggesting that his widely publicised health walks could be part of efforts to build political visibility and grassroots support.
However, Gbande suggested that such activities could create unnecessary divisions within the party if not properly managed.
He therefore called on the party’s Council of Elders to step in and enforce discipline within the NDC to ensure that all members remain focused on the success of the Mahama administration rather than personal political ambitions.
According to him, the collective responsibility of party members should be to help the government succeed in improving the lives of Ghanaians and consolidating the NDC’s mandate.