Leaders of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) say the party’s focus is on winning the upcoming December 2024 elections as it marks its 32nd anniversary with a flag-raising ceremony in Accra.
Birthed in Cape Coast by the cadres of the Revolution and the 31st December Women’s Movement (DWM) of Nana Konadu Agyemang-Rawlings, the NDC has grown over the past three decades to become a political colossus.
The NDC, a social democratic party, was founded by the late Jerry John Rawlings, who served as Head of State from 1981 to 1993 and as president from 1993 to 2001.
The party was established in preparation for the 1992 elections, which saw Rawlings elected as president.
The event at the party’s headquarters was attended by party supporters, National Executive Committee members, and members of the party’s Council of Elders.
The party observed a one-minute silence to remember all those who sacrificed their lives for the party.
The flag-raising event was graced by the party’s running mate, Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, Chairman Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, General Secretary Fiifi Fiavi Kwetey, National Youth Organizer George Opare Addo, National Organiser Joseph Yamin, National Vice-Chairman Professor Joshua Alabi, and MP for Klottey Korle Dr. Zenator Rawlings.
Speaking at the event, NDC running mate Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang said the country needs an urgent reset to address current national developmental issues.
She highlighted the detrimental pattern where one political group cleans up and another destroys, hindering the country’s progress.
“The country will have to be reset so that we stop this back and forth. If one group comes to clean and another comes to destroy, how can we make progress as a country?”
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang asked at Monday’s ceremony. She urged party members to remember and acknowledge the founders who struggled for the existence of the party.
“We, today, are the beneficiaries of those who started this a long time ago. Only last week, we went to celebrate June 4, and today, we are here to acknowledge 32 years of the existence of such a beautiful party.
“At times like these, one thinks of those who started it all. What did they want? Why did they come together? Why didn’t they say PNDC is enough?
“They didn’t because they thought that the nation needed help, and they stayed the course. They didn’t stay because they wanted anything for themselves; it was because they wanted things for the country, and it is our turn,” she said
National Chairman Johnson Asiedu Nketiah noted that the history of the country could not be written without appreciating the contribution of the NDC to national development.
“We are always the party that comes to clean the mess, and when we leave, some other people will come and destroy everything that we have built and even dig up the foundation to make sure that this country will not survive,” he said.
Reflecting on the party’s history, Mr. Nketiah acknowledged that although the NDC hasn’t met all its goals, it has not failed in its 32 years of existence.
He emphasized that the party has consistently stepped in to address national issues and believes their current position is secure.
However, he cautioned that their progress could be undone by others, who might even destroy the foundation they have built to ensure the country’s failure.
Mr. Nketiah said the nation is in a dangerous state as it approaches a crucial election, with efforts to ensure a peaceful election being thwarted.
He warned against the militarization of the electoral process, citing instances where military personnel have been deployed in some constituencies during voter transfers, wielding weapons and intimidating citizens who funded their equipment and uniforms, essentially turning them into enemies of the state.
He urged voices of conscience to speak out against these injustices, citing Kwame Danso as an area where soldiers have harassed innocent citizens whose only crime was ensuring lawful voter transfers.
General Secretary of NDC Fifi Fiavi Kwetey urged party members to prioritize genuine love for the party over loyalty to individuals. He emphasized that loyalty to the party should come first.
Many members tend to align themselves with specific individuals, and when those individuals are no longer present, these members struggle.
He stressed the need to understand that the party is more important than any individual.
