The General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, has charged delegates of the party to vote against the incumbent National Chairman, Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, in the upcoming national delegates conference. Asiedu Nketia, who has officially announced his bid to contest Ofosu-Ampofo for the chairmanship slop, argued that the current executive lacks the courage and the skills to face the governing New Patriotic Party in the 2024 elections. This, he believes if not changed, could threaten the party’s chances in the upcoming general elections. The General Secretary cited the 2019 Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election as an example where Chairman Ofosu-Ampofo, without any proper consultation, announced the party’s decision to pull out from the election after the shooting incident. He added that Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo also asked the party’s polling agents and observers to also leave the various polling stations, a situation that portrayed an act of cowardice. “Ofosu-Ampofo called me and I warned him against that decision but he didn’t listen. I was out of the country at the time but the information and facts I had received on the ground showed that we were winning the election, so I was against the decision. He also called John Mahama and the president also asked him not to do that but he also didn’t listen. “So, you see, as a leader you need to fight in times of crisis and he (Ofosu-Ampofo) doesn’t have the courage to do so. As for me, everyone knows that when you threaten me, I will threaten you back so I have no fear and I am not timid and that is the kind of leadership you need to face the NPP in the upcoming 2024 elections,” he said. Speaking with the host of Kumasi-based Oyerepa TV, Kwesi Parker-Wilson, on Friday, October 14, 2022, and monitored by GhanaWeb, Asiedu Nketiah further stated that the decision did not only cost them the seat, but it also became the basis for the NPP to abuse members of the party during the 2020 elections. “You remember the security guys said it’s a dress rehearsal so in 2020 they abused our men and even killed about 8 persons during the general elections. But if we had persisted and stayed through the end of the by-election, NPP wouldn’t have had the courage to do what they did in 2020, including manipulating the outcome of the elections,” he added. Asiedu Nketiah however said that none of these things have soiled the cordial working relationship he has with his National Chairman. “I still have a very cordial relationship with Ofosu-Ampofo in spite of my decision to contest him. We still go about with our normal duties and my decision to contest the chairmanship position won’t bring about division,” he said. The NDC goes to the polls in November 2022 to elect new national executives. Watch the latest episode of The Lowdown below: You can also watch this episode of People & Places on GhanaWeb TV: AE/WA