The recent turmoil in the Northern Region of Ghana has sent shockwaves through the National Democratic Congress (NDC), as Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, popularly known as General Mosquito and Chairman of the NDC, found himself in a whirlwind of chaos during a regional party meeting. The chaos unfolded during a stakeholders’ engagement on January 6, 2024, at the Golden Dream Hotel in Tamale, with high tensions amidst accusations and counteraccusations.The regional NDC meeting, ostensibly convened to promote peace and unity within the party ahead of the 2024 general elections, took an unexpected turn when supporters expressed grievances over the treatment of Hon. Haruna Iddrisu, who was ousted as Minority Leader a year ago. The meeting quickly descended into a maelstrom of chaos, revealing the deep-seated discontent within the party regarding the leadership change in the Minority Caucus of Parliament.The escalating tensions reached a point of no return, leading to an abrupt end of the meeting marked by violence among the NDC members. Abdul-Razak Shamima, the Northern Regional Treasurer, bore the brunt of the agitation, enduring severe beatings. The intensity of the situation heightened as irate supporters brandished machetes, prompting General Mosquito to flee for safety.The scenes of violence and the emergence of machetes in Tamale evoke a sense of déjà vu within the NDC. In 2019, former President Mahama purportedly warned that no one could beat the NDC in unleashing violence. More recently, party members were captured in viral videos wielding machetes around the office premises of former President John Dramani Mahama.Evidently, the NDC grapples with the challenge of shedding the violent image. The recent events in Tamale present formidable obstacles to the party’s unity and coherence. Internal discontent, violent altercations, and the flight of party leaders collectively depict a disheartening tableau of intensified discord and strife within the party, thereby challenging the unity narrative that party leaders earnestly seek to project.
