The Central Regional Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Dr Nana Richard Asiedu, has urged party aspirants contesting internal executive positions to avoid personal attacks and mudslinging, warning that divisive campaigns that could undermine party unity and electoral fortunes.
Dr. Asiedu made the call while outlining his vision for re-election ahead of the party’s internal vacancy-filling exercise.
He appealed to aspirants at all levels to focus their campaigns on their policies, capabilities and contributions to the party rather than attacking the reputations of fellow members.
According to him, maintaining cordial relationships during the internal contest would be essential to reconciliation after the elections.
The Regional Chairman highlighted what he described as significant electoral gains under his leadership, saying his administration had worked to transform the Central Region from a swing region into a strong base for the NDC.
He cited an increase in parliamentary seats from 13 to 18, with an additional seat, as well as an improvement in the number of presidential constituencies won by the party from four to 21.
“I think with this, if we are able to consolidate on our gains, we can go higher and higher and remove the Central Region from the strings of being a swing region,” he said.
Prof. Asiedu said when his team assumed office, the party was facing financial difficulties and weak organisational structures, requiring considerable investment and grassroots engagement to rebuild.
“When we came, we met a very weak party—lack of finance, things were very difficult,” he recalled.
He said he committed substantial personal resources to strengthening the party’s structures and improving its relationship with people across the region.
He maintained that the NDC must build on the progress made to ensure the Central Region consistently delivers more parliamentary and presidential electoral victories.
Prof. Asiedu cautioned aspirants against using personal attacks as a campaign strategy, urging them instead to communicate what they intend to contribute to the party.
He warned that denigrating fellow contestants could make post-election reconciliation difficult and weaken the party’s collective efforts.
“The advice I would give to our opponents within—that is the NDC aspirants—is that when you go to the grounds, you have to preach what you can do and what you can help the party to achieve, but not to denigrate and destroy the image of others,” he said.
He stressed that the NDC’s principal political opponent remained the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), and that internal competition should not create divisions among party members.
“Our common enemy or major opponent is the NPP,” he said, adding that aspirants must not undermine colleagues with whom they would be expected to work after the internal elections.
The Regional Chairman further urged party members to exercise restraint in their public comments throughout the internal electoral process, including contests at the branch, constituency, regional and national levels, as well as the presidential primaries.
He warned that inflammatory statements and personal attacks could damage the unity required for the party’s future electoral campaigns.
Dr. Asiedu said preserving party cohesion was essential to consolidating the NDC’s gains and improving its chances of winning future elections.
He therefore appealed to all aspirants and party stakeholders to conduct their campaigns responsibly and remain mindful of the long-term interests of the party.
