National Democratic Congress (NDC) National Chairman aspirant Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuye says he is confident of winning the party’s internal election, despite concerns that his criticism of Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) Chief Executive Officer Sammy Gyamfi may have damaged his campaign.
Vanderpuye made the comments during a visit to the Okaikwei South constituency on Sunday, October 25. Speaking to Citi News, he said his campaign visits had been positive and praised party members for preserving peace during the constituency executive elections.
“This is my third constituency visit. I’ve been to Odododiodioo, I passed through Korley Klottey and I’m here, and so far everything is smooth. We show you a family atmosphere,” he said.
The former constituency representative said the NDC’s regional elections would take place on November 14, before the national contest on December 19.
He said he expected to win the final stage of the process and become the party’s national chairman.
“Come November 14, we will have the regional elections, and then later, on December 19, we’ll have the national elections, which I believe I will make it as National Chairman,” he said.
Vanderpuye also called on NDC members to settle disagreements peacefully after the internal elections and work together to improve the party’s prospects ahead of the 2028 general elections.
Dispute over Sammy Gyamfi comments
The confidence expressed by Vanderpuye comes after controversy surrounding comments he made about Sammy Gyamfi during a Channel One TV discussion on August 20.
The remarks followed a confrontation involving Mr Gyamfi and Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin during the Government Accountability Series. The GoldBod chief executive described the Minority Leader as a “noisemaker” and accused him of having “bastardised and depraved” the office.
Their exchange took place during a dispute concerning an alleged US$1.7 billion loss connected to GoldBod’s Domestic Gold Purchase Programme.
Vanderpuye praised Sammy Gyamfi’s ability as a communicator but said he would have adopted a different approach when responding to the Minority Leader, particularly during a public broadcast.
He subsequently apologised to Mr Gyamfi and the NDC, explaining that his comments were not meant to weaken the GoldBod chief executive or endorse criticism directed at him.
However, Mussa Dankwah, Executive Director of Global InfoAnalytics, said the episode could affect Vanderpuye’s chances in the chairmanship contest.
Speaking on TV3 KeyPoints on Saturday, October 24, Dankwah said: “Nii Lantey was leading but dropped after his comments about Sammy Gyamfi and GOLDBOD.”
Vanderpuye nevertheless remains convinced that he can win enough support to take charge of the party.
