Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States, Victor Smith, has advised senior members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to refrain from prematurely positioning themselves as successors to President John Dramani Mahama.
Reports indicate that Chief of Staff Julius Debrah, NDC National Chairman Johnson Asiedu Nketia, and other influential figures have begun subtle campaigns in anticipation of the party’s upcoming presidential primaries. In an interview with Umaru Sanda Amadu on Channel One TV’s “Face to Face” on September 23, Ambassador Smith characterised these actions as premature and distracting.
“It’s normal for them; maybe they are trying to prepare the ground for themselves, but I don’t know. Personally, I believe that discussions about replacing John Mahama are premature since we haven’t even completed one year in office,” he said. Smith emphasised that the timing of these discussions risks diverting attention from the government’s development agenda.
He urged party members to allow President Mahama to complete his mandate before considering succession. “They have started too early. If too many people are entering the race right now, we might lose focus on building this nation and pursuing John Mahama’s agenda, and instead, we’ll be disrupting everyone with that campaign,” he stressed.
Source: Leticia Osei
