The battle for the National Democratic Congress flagbearer ticket ahead of 2028 is heating up fast, with National Chairman Asiedu Nketia watching his once-comfortable lead shrink by six percentage points in just seven days.
Fresh polling data from Global InfoAnalytics, released by Executive Director Mussa Dankwah on Monday, paints a picture of a contest gaining real momentum. The research firm’s “top-of-the-mind” baseline survey tracks how NDC members and sympathisers perceive potential candidates — and the latest numbers show rivals closing ground on the man many considered the early favourite.
Asiedu Nketia polled at 29 percent in the second weekly survey, a marginal uptick from 28 percent in Week 1. But the real story sits beneath that surface stability. Finance Minister Ato Forson surged into a clear second position with 19 percent support, while Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu registered 11 percent. Chief of Staff Julius Debrah and Vice President Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang each picked up 8 percent. The chairman’s lead over his nearest challenger collapsed from 16 points to 10 points in the space of a single week — a swing that signals the field is organising quickly.
Perhaps the most telling figure in the entire dataset is the undecided column. In Week 1, a massive 36 percent of respondents had not settled on any candidate. That bloc contracted sharply to 24 percent by Week 2, meaning roughly one in every three previously undecided supporters moved toward a named contender — and most of them did not move toward Asiedu Nketia. Forson and Iddrisu appear to be the chief beneficiaries of that shift, positioning themselves as credible alternatives with distinct appeal: Forson drawing on his visibility as the minister managing Ghana’s public finances, and Iddrisu leveraging his long-standing profile across the northern political belt.
The findings carry significant implications for the NDC’s internal dynamics. Asiedu Nketia remains the frontrunner, but his path to the flagbearer slot is no longer a walkover. Should the undecided vote continue to break disproportionately toward his rivals, his lead could evaporate within weeks. Political watchers also note that no candidate has formally declared intentions to contest, leaving room for late entrants or strategic alliances that could reshape the field entirely.
For a party that secured power in the last election cycle, the stakes of this internal contest extend beyond personalities. Whoever emerges as flagbearer will need to unite a broad coalition — from grassroots organisers to technocratic ministers — to mount a credible bid for the presidency in 2028. The speed at which the race is tightening suggests that NDC members are shopping seriously rather than rallying reflexively behind any single figure.
With nearly a quarter of the party’s base still up for grabs, the next few weekly polls could determine whether this becomes a genuine two-horse race or a wide-open scramble that tests the NDC’s unity long before any ballot is cast.
Source: Citi Newsroom
