In what is shaping up to be a highly competitive race for the national leadership of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), campaign posters of prominent lawyer and veteran politician, Hon. Nii Armah Ashietey, have been spotted in Wa, the Upper West Regional Capital.

One prominent poster, conspicuously mounted at a busy intersection on Tendamba Crescent, signals the aspirant’s strategic effort to establish a solid footprint across the northern belt of the country. This early visibility in the region has ignited conversations among local party faithful, many of whom view his presence as a major boost to his national campaign and a testament to his determination to bridge regional gaps within the party.

As political analysts begin to weigh his chances in the upcoming national chairmanship contest, Ashietey’s expansive and loyal track record within the NDC stands as a pillar of his campaign. His rise within the party structure demonstrates a grounded humility and unwavering dedication.

After a narrow defeat in the 2004 Klottey Korle parliamentary election, he returned to the grassroots, contesting and winning the chairmanship of the Silent Café branch in Osu. His exceptional mobilisation skills subsequently elevated him to the position of Klottey Korle Constituency Chairman, a role he held until resigning in 2008 to successfully run for parliament. Currently, he serves the party at a high level as the Vice Chairman of the Council of Elders for the Greater Accra Region.

Beyond his organisational roles, Ashietey brings a wealth of executive and legislative experience to the table, having served under three different NDC administrations. In 1993, he was appointed by the late President Jerry John Rawlings as the Chief Executive of the Tema Municipal Assembly, where he served for eight years and transformed the municipality into a model of decentralisation and high administrative excellence. In 2009, under the late President John Evans Atta Mills, he represented the people of Klottey Korle in Parliament and served concurrently as the Greater Accra Regional Minister.

He further solidified his public service record in 2013 under former President John Dramani Mahama, who appointed him as the Minister for Employment and Labour Relations. During this tenure, he successfully spearheaded the implementation of the Single Spine Salary Structure to sanitise wages across the public sector.

With a professional background as a seasoned barrister admitted to the Ghana Bar in 1986, and extensive global experience as a maritime labour consultant and unionist, Ashietey’s supporters argue that his administrative discipline is exactly what the NDC needs. His campaign’s entry into the Upper West Region indicates that he is not taking any constituency for granted, positioning himself as a unifying, experienced figure capable of leading the NDC into the next general elections.

Story by Digme Robert Kantayir