Eric Opoku, the Minister of Food and Agriculture, has broken his silence on rumours surrounding his ambition to succeed President John Mahama as NDC flagbearer.
According to the Agric Minister, his priority now remains the success of Ghana’s agricultural sector, which is key to John Mahama’s 24-hour economy policy.
He asserted that God has always chosen leaders for the NDC, so if God’s favour falls on him, he will gladly accept it.
Speaking on the Citizen Show on Accra 100.5 FM on Friday, August 22, 2025, Eric Opoku stated, “God has a way of choosing leaders for the NDC over the years, and if that favour falls on me, why not? I will gladly accept it”.
“Sometimes, when leaders are chosen, some may dislike the decision, but it becomes what everyone must rally behind to win the next election.
“If the party’s grassroots decide I should lead them, I will lead them.”
However, unconfirmed reports also suggest, Eric Opoku, the current Minister of Food and Agriculture, is being pushed by some bigwigs within the NDC.
According to sources, Eric Opoku is being pushed forward as John Mahama’s heir, silently, not to create unnecessary attention for the minister.
It has also been alleged that a strong team has been mobilised to advocate for Eric Opoku.
Eric Opoku joins a tall list of NDC bigwigs, including National Chairman, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, Member of Parliament (MP) for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa and Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the 2028 elections is expected to field a new candidate as current President John Dramani Mahama is serving his constitutionally mandated second term in office.
President John Mahama, with just months in his second term in office, has to deal with speculations of surrounding his successor.
Haruna Iddrisu, in December 2024, responded to the growing calls for him to contest the NDC flagbearer position after John Dramani Mahama.
Speaking in an interview with TV3 on Friday, December 13, 2024, he stated, “My eye is on the ball, but I don’t know about tomorrow.”
Also, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, the National Chairman of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), has said, “No serious politician rules out any position. It’s known that it is ambition that drives politics.
And if you rush to rule things out, you get to a point where you’ll be at a corner where you regret having ruled out certain positions”.
Meanwhile, a recent Global InfoAnalytics survey on the NDC flagbearer race indicates Haruna Iddrisu, the education minister, has become the National Democratic Congress (NDC )’s most preferred candidate to lead the country for the 2028 general elections.
The recent poll shows Haruna Iddrisu is slightly ahead of the NDC Chairman, Asiedu Nketia.
Haruna Iddrisu in the poll garnered a total of 27 per cent, followed by Asiedu Nketia pulling 26 per cent.
The finance minister, Ato Forson, pulled 22 per cent, with Chief of Staff Julius Debrah securing 11 per cent.
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa also garnered 8 per cent, with the member of parliament for Korle Klottey, Zanetor Rawlings, polling 4 per cent.
Mussa Dankwah, in his post on X, stated, “Haruna and General knock horns in what may be an interesting race for the NDC, at least from General’s voters’ perspective”.
However, the earlier poll conducted by Global InfoAnalytics some months ago had Professor Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang at the top with 33%, Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, managed to poll 24% of total votes cast, while Finance Minister, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, followed with 16%.
Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa and National Chairman of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, managed 13% of votes each.