Veteran journalist Kwesi Pratt Jnr has alleged that the National Democratic Congress' (NDC) Council of Elders took steps last year to mitigate a brewing fight over who should succeed President John Mahama. According to Pratt, the elders grew concerned that open jostling among presidential hopefuls inside the party was becoming too intense and risked tearing the NDC apart. This, he claimed, could have handed power back to the opposition.
Pratt made the disclosure in a TikTok video, which was reported by ghanaweb news on 20 September 2026. He stated that the Council of Elders called in at least one person actively involved in the succession contest and secured a personal pledge to step back. Pratt did not name the individual in the video but claimed to know exactly what steps the elders took and who appeared before them.
Despite the elders' efforts, Pratt insisted that the rivalry has only intensified since then. He questioned whether the promises made to the council had actually been kept, describing the situation as getting "dirtier and dirtier" every day. Pratt expressed concern that the scramble for the presidency risked sending the wrong message to ordinary Ghanaians about the party's priorities.
Pratt suggested that some aspirants seemed more interested in "the trappings of office" than the responsibilities of governing. He also questioned whether they understood the weight of the office they were pursuing. The veteran journalist's claims have sparked concerns about unresolved friction inside the governing party over its future direction.
The NDC has not publicly named a preferred successor to President Mahama, whose term runs its course before the 2028 elections. Party figure Agbey has argued that the NDC needs strong leadership to succeed Mahama ahead of the 2028 elections. The Council of Elders is understood to be a body of senior, experienced party figures who offer guidance on internal disputes and party discipline.
The NDC has not issued its own statement confirming or detailing Pratt's account. No date has been given for any fresh intervention by the Council of Elders, and the party has not laid out a public timeline for addressing succession questions. The details of Pratt's claims, including the identity of the aspirant who appeared before the elders, remain unclear.
Pratt's account, if accurate, suggests that the rivalry among presidential hopefuls could resurface as a source of internal division regardless of last year's intervention. This development has implications for NDC supporters and the wider Ghanaian public as attention turns toward the next election cycle.
Key points
- The NDC Council of Elders secretly summoned a presidential hopeful last year to ease succession tensions.
- Despite the elders' efforts, the rivalry among presidential hopefuls has intensified, according to Kwesi Pratt.
- The situation has sparked concerns about the party's priorities and the weight of the office being pursued by aspirants.
