A member of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Wonder Kutor, has defended the decision of the party’s National Chairman, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, to embark on a ‘Thank You’ tour after the party’s victory in the 2024 general elections.
Speaking on Joy FM’s Top Story in reaction to concerns raised about the tour, Mr Kutor said the chairman’s decision was in line with promises he made during the campaign.
The three-day tour, running from September 17 to 19, covers 16 constituencies in the Eastern Region.
While officially framed as an appreciation programme to acknowledge the contributions of party executives, cadres, and grassroots organisers for the NDC’s 2024 victory, some observers believe it may also position Mr Asiedu Nketiah for a future presidential bid.
However, Mr Kutor has dismissed such suggestions and welcomed the ‘Thank You’ tour as appreciation for the victory in 2024.
“This is a very simple matter. We went for an election, the party has won, and the national chairman has decided to embark on a ‘Thank You’ tour. And I am surprised some people are complaining; what is the problem?” He asked.
Explaining further, he pointed out that the party adopted a new style of campaigning during the election period, where different leaders played unique roles.
“If you look at the campaign that we ran, for the first time, we had a different style of campaigning. We had a campaign where the national chairman had to lead it with a particular team. The fact that I also led a team, the running mate led a team, and the general secretary was coordinating the various campaigns,” he explained.
Mr Kutor recalled one of the campaign rallies in the Ashanti Region, where Mr Asiedu Nketiah assured voters he would personally return to express gratitude if they supported John Mahama.
“In one of the campaigns in the Ashanti Region, he told them that if they agree and vote for Mahama, he himself will come to thank them. So what is wrong with the national chairman deciding to go and thank the people?” he asked.
His explanation aligns with what was offered by Mr Nketiah.
The NDC Chairman said he deliberately targeted difficult constituencies, mobilising grassroots structures to secure gains for the NDC.
“We went into areas that were considered NPP strongholds, engaged with communities, and by God’s grace, before the elections ended, we were able to capture many constituencies from their hands,” he recounted.
He emphasised that his ‘Thank You’ tour is specifically tied to the success of the parliamentary elections.
“This tour is not about the presidential campaign—it is about appreciating the efforts of our people who worked tirelessly to win seats in Parliament and to strengthen the party’s position,” he added.