National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, has openly disclosed that he personally advised President John Dramani Mahama to appoint key party figures Haruna Iddrisu and Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak to major ministerial positions following the NDC’s 2024 election victory.
According to him, the appointments formed part of a deliberate internal strategy to preserve party unity, reward experience and strengthen cohesion within the governing party after a period of internal restructuring.
Speaking in Tamale in a video circulated on Friday, Asiedu Nketiah said he cautioned President Mahama against sidelining influential party leaders during the formation of the new administration.
“After we won the election, I told President Mahama that we cannot ignore Muntaka and Haruna in setting up our government, so they needed to be given big positions,” he stated.
He explained that President Mahama accepted the advice, leading to the appointment of Haruna Iddrisu as Education Minister and Muntaka Mubarak as Interior Minister.
The revelation sheds fresh light on behind-the-scenes negotiations within the NDC following its return to power and confirms that the inclusion of former parliamentary leaders in government was part of a broader political balancing strategy.
Asiedu Nketiah also used the occasion to caution party supporters in Tamale against creating factional camps around Haruna and Muntaka, insisting that the party leadership was united and working together.
“So if you are in Tamale and you are forming groups for Muntaka and Haruna, it is not our case but your case,” he said.
The comments come against the backdrop of the NDC’s controversial 2023 parliamentary leadership reshuffle, which removed Haruna Iddrisu and other Minority leaders in a move that initially generated tensions within sections of the party.
However, Asiedu Nketiah described the restructuring as part of difficult but strategic reforms the party undertook ahead of the 2024 elections.
He argued that the changes ultimately contributed to the NDC’s electoral victory and helped position the party for governance after returning to power.
