Akwasi Opong-Fosu leads NDC chairmanship poll with 63.4%

Former Local Government Minister Akwasi Opong-Fosu has emerged as the leading choice in an online poll on who should become the next National Chairman of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC).

The poll, conducted by Today.com.gh, shows Opong-Fosu with 249 votes, ahead of former Deputy Greater Accra Regional Minister Nii Lante Vanderpuye, who has 119 votes.

Alhaji Said Sinare has 11 votes, Augustus “Goosie” Tanoh has 10, while Sofo Azorka has four votes.

The poll is not an official NDC survey but comes as the party prepares to elect new national executives at its National Congress on December 19, 2026.

The NDC’s official timetable confirms that the national elections will be the final stage of its 2026 reorganisation process.

The chairmanship race is expected to attract significant attention as the party prepares for the 2028 general elections.

The current NDC National Chairman is Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, popularly known as General Mosquito. He is not expected to seek another term as National Chairman and has been linked to ambitions for a future presidential contest.

Among the names being mentioned in the race is Opong-Fosu, a former Local Government Minister and former Member of Parliament for Amenfi East. He currently chairs the board of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre and is reported to be drawing support from the Western Region.

Vanderpuye, a former Member of Parliament for Odododiodio and former Youth and Sports Minister, is also being considered as a potential contender. His long involvement in the party and experience in government have positioned him among the leading names being discussed.

Another potential contender is former NDC National Chairman Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, who has previously occupied the position and is reportedly considering a return.

He defeated several candidates to become chairman in 2018 before losing the position to Asiedu Nketiah at the party’s 2022 National Delegates Congress.

Alhaji Said Sinare, a former NDC National Vice-Chairman and Ghana’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, has also been linked to the contest, although his current diplomatic appointment could have implications for his eligibility.

Augustus “Goosie” Obuadum Tanoh, a former NDC stalwart and Presidential Adviser on the 24-Hour Economy, has also emerged as a potential contender.

The party’s internal election rules, however, impose a six-month resignation requirement on certain government appointees seeking to contest party positions. Under Article 54 of the NDC Constitution, affected appointees must resign at least six clear months before filing their nomination forms. For national-level contests, the deadline was June 2026.

The rule applies to Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Chief Executive Officers, Managing Directors, their deputies and MMDCEs, among others. Chairpersons and members of governing boards are exempt from the requirement.

The constituency elections have been successfully held on October 24 and 25, which will be followed by regional elections on November 14 and 15.

The process will culminate in the National Congress on December 19, when the new national executives, including the next National Chairman, will be elected.