Asiedu Nketia, Ato Forson Locked in Tight Race for NDC Flag as 2028 Succession Battle Takes Shape

The contest to become the National Democratic Congress’ (NDC) next presidential candidate is already narrowing to two of the party’s most influential figures, according to a new nationwide survey that places National Chairman Johnson Asiedu Nketia and Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Baah Forson level as the leading contenders ahead of the 2028 general election.

The GlobalInfo Analytics poll, released on Monday, found both men attracting 31% support among voters when asked who should lead the governing party after President John Dramani Mahama’s tenure, underscoring what appears to be an increasingly competitive succession race.

While the two frontrunners remain deadlocked, the survey shows a sizeable gap between them and the rest of the potential field. Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu secured 15%, followed by Vice President Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang with 9%. Chief of Staff Julius Debrah polled 8%, while Agriculture Minister Eric Opoku and former University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) Vice-Chancellor Prof. Joshua Alabi each recorded 2% support.

The findings reinforce earlier polling that suggested the contest to inherit the NDC’s presidential ticket is increasingly centred on Asiedu Nketia and Dr Ato Forson.

Beyond the internal party race, the survey also assessed how prospective NDC candidates could perform in a multi-party presidential election.

Among the scenarios tested, Dr Ato Forson emerged as the strongest performer. In a hypothetical contest against former Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, Kennedy Agyapong, Alan Kyerematen and Nana Kwame Bediako, the Finance Minister was projected to win 57.5% of the vote.

Under that scenario, Dr Bawumia was projected to secure 35.3%, while Kennedy Agyapong received 4.3%. Nana Kwame Bediako and Alan Kyerematen were projected to poll 0.6% and 0.5% respectively, with other candidates collectively accounting for 1.8%.

A separate simulation replacing Dr Ato Forson with Johnson Asiedu Nketia also produced a decisive NDC victory, although by a slightly narrower margin. The party’s National Chairman was projected to secure 54.2%, compared with 37.1% for Dr Bawumia.

In that model, Kennedy Agyapong received 4.8%, Alan Kyerematen 1.0%, and Nana Kwame Bediako 0.8%, while other candidates accounted for 2.1%.

The survey was conducted through telephone interviews between 15 and 24 July 2026, covering 7,761 registered voters across Ghana’s 16 regions. According to GlobalInfo Analytics, the poll carries a 99% confidence level and a margin of error of ±1.5 percentage points.

Although the NDC has not begun its formal flagbearer selection process, the latest findings suggest the contest to succeed President Mahama is already taking shape, with Dr Ato Forson and Johnson Asiedu Nketia emerging as the dominant figures in what could become one of the party’s most closely watched leadership races.