A spokesperson for the Interior Minister and senior National Democratic Congress (NDC) figure, Muntaka Mubarak, has criticised comments by the party’s National Chairman, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, over a 2023 reshuffle of the NDC’s parliamentary leadership, warning against actions that could deepen divisions within the ruling party.

In a statement issued on Friday (22 May), Nasir Gardenboi, spokesperson to Muntaka Mubarak, said political frustration should not become “a basis for rewriting history or unfairly attacking colleagues in pursuit of power”.

The comments were in response to remarks by Asiedu Nketiah during a “Thank You” tour in the Tamale South constituency, where he defended the party’s decision in 2023 to replace veteran lawmaker Haruna Iddrisu as Minority Leader ahead of the 2024 general election.

Asiedu Nketiah said the reshuffle formed part of a broader strategy to reposition the NDC for electoral victory and argued that the outcome of the 2024 polls vindicated the decision.

He also disclosed that President John Dramani Mahama, then the party’s presidential candidate, had initially disagreed with the reshuffle but that party leadership proceeded because it believed the changes were necessary.

Gardenboi, however, rejected suggestions that the leadership changes alone secured victory for the NDC in the 2024 election.

“The victory was the product of collective sacrifice, strategic planning, and the tireless efforts of party faithful across the country,” he said.

He added that public comments by senior party officials should “unite rather than divide” and cautioned against creating the perception that respected Muslim and Northern leaders within the party were being unfairly targeted.

“Such perceptions, whether intended or not, risk deepening divisions at a time when unity should be our greatest strength,” the statement said.

Gardenboi also praised the contributions of Haruna Iddrisu, Muntaka Mubarak and Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson during challenging periods in the party’s parliamentary history, including events surrounding the election of the Speaker of Ghana’s 8th Parliament in January 2021.

The NDC returned to power in the 2024 general election after defeating the governing party, with Mahama elected president.

Since assuming office, the administration has sought to project unity within the party while implementing its policy agenda.