Tongues are wagging within the National Democratic Congress (NDC) over the decision by the National Chairman of the governing party, Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, to embark on a ‘thank you tour’ across the country.
The tour, according to party insiders, is a surreptitious move by Mr Asiedu Nketiah to show gratitude to the rank and file of the NDC and subtly launch his presidential bid towards the 2028 general election.
This is said to be the case of “the early bird catches the worm”, as the NDC national chairman is moving fast ahead of other potential presidential hopefuls in the party’s future presidential race.
NDC’s 2028 presidential contest is open to fresh aspirants as President John Dramani Mahama will be finishing his second term on January 6, 2029 and will be constitutionally barred from standing for presidency again.
However, Mr Asiedu Nketiah’s announced thank you tour is seen as a disguised early presidential campaign, stirring a storm of controversy within the governing party that barely nine months in government.
NDC critics have suggested that a three-day programme starting with Eastern region on Wednesday, 17th September 2025, is more about the national chairman positioning himself for his future presidential bid.
The tour starting from September 17 to 19, 2025, across 16 constituencies in the Eastern Region, is being officially proclaimed as a follow-up appreciation effort on behalf of the NDC.
According to party officials, this is meant to recognize the contributions of executives, cadres, and grassroots organizers who worked tirelessly for the NDC’s victory in the 2024 general election.
However, this explanation is being met with sharp skepticism as party gurus and sources close to the Presidency view the initiative as a campaign tour by Asiedu Nketiah who has not hidden his presidential ambition ahead of the 2028 elections.
Overlapping tours
Crucially, the controversy stems from the fact that former President Mahama, who led the NDC to victory in 2024, had already completed an extensive nationwide “thank-you tour” just two months earlier, in July 2025.
For many party bigwigs, this makes another appreciation tour not only unnecessary but politically suspicious.
“This is about optics and positioning. By moving around the country under the NDC banner, Chairman Nketiah is effectively testing the waters and cementing his presence in constituencies ahead of 2028,” one Eastern Regional NDC source told journalists.
Friction between party and government
The ‘thank you tour’, according to information gathered, has also rattled the Presidency, where some senior government officials view the tour as ill-timed.
They indicated that the NDC government’s immediate priority should be on stabilizing the economy and fulfilling campaign promises, rather than entertaining succession politics barely a year into its term.
“Whatever the fortunes of the NDC will be in 2028 depends squarely on government performance now.
“For the next two years at least, all focus should be on delivery, not campaign maneuvering. Chairman Nketiah’s tour risks becoming a distraction,” a Jubilee House source bemoaned.
This variance of priorities, according to information gleaned, is deepening an already simmering tension and widening a rift between the Presidency and the party leadership, fueling concerns of internal cracks.
Below is the full itinerary of the tour:
Despite the criticism, the itinerary remains packed, signaling a high-profile show of strength:
Wednesday, September 17, 2025: Asuogyamang, Lower Manya, Upper Manya, Yilo, and Okere.
Thursday, September 18, 2025: Akuapem North, Akuapem South, Nsawam, Upper West Akim, and Asamankese.
Friday, September 19, 2025: Akroso, Achiase, Swedru, Akim Oda, Kade, and Akwatia.
Each stop is expected to feature rallies, closed-door meetings, and community engagements.
Participants will include constituency and branch executives, former party officers, coordinators, cadres, chiefs, assembly members, as well as influential groups such as the Drivers’ Union.
Political analysts’ concerns
Political analysts have observed that the unfolding drama underscores the delicate balance between party politics and governance.
With President Mahama constitutionally barred from contesting again after 2028, the race for his successor is already quietly in motion.
Mr Asiedu Nketiah, a long-time strategist and kingmaker in the NDC, is increasingly being seen as a contender who could attempt to transition from party chairman to presidential candidate.
The tour’s reception, both from the grassroots and the general public—will be closely watched.
If warmly embraced by the grassroots supporters, the tour could strengthen Asiedu Nketiah’s hand in the looming internal contest.
However, its resistance risks deepening factional tensions in a party that only recently returned to power.
Observers believe the “thank-you tour” has become more than a courtesy call as it is shaping up as a litmus test for unity, discipline, and ambition within the NDC.
