Former Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Koku Anyidoho, has called the party’s Chairman, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, a traitor for opting out of the Ejisu by-election set for April 30, following the demise of the constituency’s Member of Parliament, John Ampontuah Kumah.
In a post on X, Mr Anyidoho noted that Mr Nketia could be regarded as a traitor for ‘selling the by-election’ since he, Mr Nketia, chastised his predecessor, Ofosu-Ampofo, for opting out of the Ayawaso West Wuogon.
“At the zenith of his political perfidy, Mosquito accused Ofosu-Ampofo of being a traitor who sold Ayawaso West by-election to NPP when the then NDC Chmn took a wise decision to pull out from a bloody contest. Is Mosquito too a traitor who has sold Ejisu by-election? Karma”.
Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, the General Secretary of the NDC, stated that the party is redirecting its efforts toward preparing for the main parliamentary elections in December and not the Ejisu by-election.
In 2022, the General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, said the National Chairman of the party, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo’s courage as a leader was tested during the violent Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election.
According to him, Mr Ofosu Ampofo’s announcement of the NDC’s withdrawal from that crucial by-election was an outright wrong move.
The Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election held in 2019 was marred by violence after National Security Operatives brutalized voters resulting in some having their legs broken and being admitted to the hospital.
Mr Ofosu Ampofo has said he arrived at the decision for the NDC to pull out based on the advice given by the party’s security experts, adding that both ex-President John Mahama and Asiedu Nketia were consulted before the decision was made public.
But Asiedu Nketiah in an interview on Kasapa 102.5FM/Agoo TV denied consenting to that decision. “I was attending a conference in the Dominican Republic as the Vice President of Socialist International when Chairman Ofosu Ampofo called me saying that some vigilantes had fired gunshots all over the place and so he thinks the NDC should withdraw from the election. I told him don’t, it is a bad decision, and that he’ll set a bad precedent in the NDC. I told him with violence or not, the NDC will win so the party shouldn’t withdraw.”
He added: “Right after I was done with him, I received a call from ex-President Mahama telling me he’s picked up information that Ofosu Ampofo intends to announce the party’s withdrawal, it’s a bad move, tell him he shouldn’t do it. I told him I’d spoken to him (Ofosu Ampofo) not to do so. Shortly after, I saw news flashing of Ofosu Ampofo flanked by the party’s security capos announcing the NDC’s withdrawal from the election.
One of the reasons he cited was that the NDC Parliamentary candidate is unable to step out of his room.
“So if the candidate is not able to come out, should the party withdraw from an election,” Asiedu Nketia asked.
Asked by the host, Bonohene Baffuor Awuah whether he sees Ofosu Ampofo as a weak leader, Asiedu Nketia responded: “his (Ofosu Ampofo) courage was tested at the battlefield and we all saw the results.