National Democratic Congress (NDC) National Chairman Johnson Asiedu Nketiah will not seek re-election to the party’s top organisational position after failing to pick nomination forms before the close of nominations for the 2026 national executive elections.
The party’s Director of Elections and Information Technology, Mahdi Gibril, confirmed that Mr Asiedu Nketiah, National Communications Officer Sammy Gyamfi and Malik Basintale had not picked nomination forms by the October 21 deadline, effectively removing them from the contest for their current positions.
“From the records, the National Chairman has not picked a nomiation form. I know that Sammy Gyamfi has also not picked a nomination form, and Malik Basintale has not picked a nomination form”.
NDC Director of Elections and Information Technology, Mahdi Gibril
The development marks a significant change in the NDC’s leadership landscape ahead of its 11th National Delegates Congress on December 19, 2026, as the party prepares to elect executives for its next organisational term.
Asiedu Nketiah Ends Chairmanship Bid
Mr Asiedu Nketiah’s decision not to enter the chairmanship contest comes after years of service in senior positions within the NDC. Mahdi Gibril has confirmed in a separate media interview that the incumbent chairman is not seeking re-election.
His exit from the national executive race, however, does not necessarily mark the end of his political ambitions. The veteran politician has repeatedly declined to rule out contesting for the NDC’s 2028 presidential flagbearer position.
In an August 2026 interview, Mr Asiedu Nketiah maintained that he had not ruled out any political position, including the presidency. He stressed that he would declare his intentions when the appropriate time came.
“I have never ruled any position out in my life. I’m not ruling any position out,” he stated during the interview. His decision not to contest the chairmanship therefore comes as attention increasingly shifts to the party’s succession discussions ahead of the 2028 general elections.
Global InfoAnalytics Poll Puts Asiedu Nketiah Among Flagbearer Contenders
Mr Asiedu Nketiah’s potential presidential ambitions have featured in polling by Global InfoAnalytics tracking NDC delegates’ preferences for the party’s 2028 flagbearer.
The organisation’s September 2026 survey placed Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson at 32%, ahead of Mr Asiedu Nketiah, who recorded 23%. The poll, conducted among 3,615 NDC delegates between September 11 and 13, also found that 28% remained undecided.
The figures place the two men at the top of the poll, although the results reflect delegates’ preferences at the time of the survey and do not establish who will eventually secure the party’s presidential nomination.
Mr Asiedu Nketiah has not formally declared a 2028 presidential bid in the cited interview. Instead, he has maintained that he will communicate his decision when the time is right. His departure from the chairmanship race consequently leaves open the question of whether he will pursue another political role in the party.
Sammy Gyamfi and Malik Basintale Also Miss Deadline
Mr Gibril also confirmed that Sammy Gyamfi and Malik Basintale had not picked nomination forms before the deadline. Their absence from the nomination process means they will not contest to retain their current national executive positions in the upcoming elections.
The closure of nominations at 5 p.m. on October 21 established the list of prospective aspirants who had collected forms for the various positions. The NDC announced that 137 individuals had picked forms to contest 14 national executive positions.
The figures indicate that competition will proceed among those who entered the nomination process, with the final list of qualified candidates subject to the party’s filing and vetting requirements.
NDC Prepares for December Congress
The party’s electoral timetable provides for completed nomination forms to be filed from November 7 to 9 at its national headquarters in Adabraka, Accra. Vetting is scheduled for November 12 and 13, followed by appeals on November 15 and 16.
The NDC will hold its Youth and Women’s Conference on December 12 before the 11th National Delegates Congress on December 19, 2026. The congress will determine the party’s next national executive leadership as it continues preparations for the next phase of its political organisation.
With Asiedu Nketiah, Sammy Gyamfi and Basintale absent from the nomination process for their current positions, the elections will usher in changes among the party’s national executives.
For Mr Asiedu Nketiah, the decision not to seek another term as chairman leaves his next political move a subject of interest as the NDC looks towards its 2028 flagbearer contest.
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