The National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, is not seeking re-election.
His decision not to seek re-election gives further impetus to information that he plans to contest the flagbearership of the party next year.
Nominations for national executive positions closed last Wednesday with 137 aspirants picking up nomination forms to contest various positions.
Candidates
Five of the aspirants, Edwin Nii Landerpuije; Nii Armah Ashietey; Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, a former national chairman, whose forms were picked by some party members; Sofo Azorkar, a National Vice Chairman and Akwasi Opong-Fosu, will be vying for the national chairman position.
The incumbent General Secretary, Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, will face off with another member, Stephen Donkor, for the same position.
Filing
The Spokesperson for the Congress Elections Committee, Dr Peter Boamah Otokunor, told the Daily Graphic that all aspirants have 14 days to complete and submit their nomination forms, relevant filing fees and endorsement processes in accordance with Sections 10 and 15 of the 2026 guidelines for the conduct of the national congress.
The Functional Executive Committee (FEC) of the NDC has approved filing fees for aspirants seeking various national executive positions in the party, with the national chairman position attracting the highest filing fee of GH¢100,000.
The approved fee structure covers 14 positions, ranging from national chairman and general secretary to national organisers, communications officers, youth and women’s organisers and members of the National Executive Committee.
Under the approved arrangement, aspirants seeking to contest for national vice chairman will pay GHc60,000 and general secretary will pay GH¢80,000, while those contesting for national organiser will pay GH¢70,000.
The fees form part of the party’s arrangements for its internal elections to select officers who will oversee its national administration and organisational activities.
According to the approved schedule, all payments are to be made online through the designated party platform, forms.ghanandc.com.
The deputy general secretary positions require GH¢60,000 filing fees.
Aspirants seeking the national communication officer position will pay GH¢50,000, while the national youth organiser and national Zongo caucus coordinator positions each attract GH¢40,000.
The deputy organiser positions, including deputy national organiser, deputy national communication officer and deputy national youth organiser, have filing fees of GH¢30,000 each.
The same fee applies to the national women’s organiser and deputy national women’s organiser positions, subject to the special provisions for female candidates who are challenged.
National Executive Committee membership carries the lowest filing fee on the schedule, at GH¢10,000.
The approved schedule also stipulates that aspirants seeking to contest any of the positions will pay GH¢2,000 to obtain a nomination form.
The approved fee structure provides concessions for female candidates and persons with disabilities (PWDs).
Under the arrangement, female candidates and persons with disabilities will pay 50 per cent of the approved filing fees for all positions, except the national women’s organiser and deputy national women’s organiser positions.
National elections
Dr Otokunor said the vetting of national applicants has been fixed for November 12 to 13, 2026.
He said the appeals process had been scheduled from November 15 to November 16, while the youth and women conference would take place on December 12, 2026 and the national congress on December 19, 2026.
