Alexander Afenyo-Markin, the Minority Leader of Parliament, has blown an alarm that the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) is divided because of power.
According to Afenyo-Markin, the NDC is divided; he alleged that the party has its candidate while the presidency is also fielding its own candidate for the elections.
Afenyo-Markin alleged that Vice President Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang has chosen Haruna Iddrisu, the Minister of Education, as her running mate.
Speaking at a press conference on January 26, 2026, Afenyo-Markin stated, “The NDC also have a leadership contest ahead of them, which is very messy.
The NDC is divided because of power. Today, Asiedu Nketiah says he is going on a ‘thank you’ tour; what we have seen is that the government has its own preferred candidate for the flagbearer and the party also have their own choice of flagbearer”.
Afenyo-Markin further added, “ By mid-year, President Mahama will become a lame-duck president because everyone is fighting for power. The Vice President also wants to become president. Recently, we heard that she has chosen Haruna Iddrisu as her running mate”.
“We have also heard that the Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, is going to contest, and his running mate is Fifii Kwetey, the NDC General Secretary. The majority leader and Ablakwa are also doing their personal permutation. Also, the finance minister is preparing his running mate”.
Meanwhile, unofficial reports gathered suggest Haruna Iddrisu, Julius Debrah, Eric Opoku, and Johnson Asiedu Nketia are rumoured to be eyeing the NDC 2028 flagbearership.
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, finally 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, Iddrisu expressed his interest in pursuing the presidency, despite acknowledging the challenges that come with such a pursuit.
He stated, “My eye is on the ball, but I don’t know about tomorrow.”
Haruna Iddrisu has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Tamale South Constituency since 2005.
Also, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, the National Chairman of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), also broke his silence on rumoured presidential ambition.
According to Asiedu Nketia, no serious politician rules out any position.
Speaking in an interview on JoyNews, Asideu Nketia stated, “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”.
However, unconfirmed reports also suggest that 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.
Watch the video below:
The NDC has forgotten it has a leadership race ahead; theirs will be messy – Afenyo-Markin.#JoyNews pic.twitter.com/IwBzpCuXYo
— JoyNews (@JoyNewsOnTV) January 26, 2026