In the northern region, there has long been a prevailing public impression that things between the former Minority Leader and the former President were not good. The support bases of Mr. Mahama and Haruna Iddrisu were sharply divided as a result, especially in the northern region.
Unsurprisingly, the chronology of prior occurrences has led many individuals to strongly believe that there was a fight between the two pillars.
Remember that Haruna Iddrisu was not included in John Mahama’s government when it was established after he won the 2012 presidential election. He wasn’t given the chance to become a minister until NDC supporters in the northern region aggressively stirred up trouble by torching party buildings on Tamale’s main streets.
The unpopular rearrangement of the Minority frontbench in Parliament earlier this year by the Aseidu Nketiah-led National Executives, which many political pundits described as a coup d’état, added to the animosity within the party.
But some “Mahama Boys” in the area have also accused the Tamale South lawmaker of undermining Mr. Mahama’s efforts to win reelection to a second term in office after losing the 2016 and 2020 national elections. Mr. Mahama is running for president again.
Prior to the NDC primaries last May, candidate Mahama visited the area as part of his campaign trip. He claimed to have no affiliation with any local faction and identified Haruna Iddrisu as his younger brother. He also urged party supporters to settle their local disputes.
The NDC leader is now, however, confronting the situation head-on, paying a historic visit to the Tamale South MP’s private residence over the weekend as part of his tour of the Northern and Savannah Regions.
In a now-viral video, John Mahama is seen approaching Haruna Iddrisu’s house while accompanied by the former NDC chief of staff Julius Debrah and other top NDC figures.
According to sources who spoke to THE CUSTODIAN, the conference was convened to discuss, among other things, peace and togetherness as well as how to build support among the NDC’s local rank and file for victory in 2024.
Earlier, Mr. Mahama paid a visit to a number of traditional figures, including Naa Yab’ Tolon Naa Major (Rtd) Sulemana Abubakari, the paramount Chief of Tolon, at his palace.
Meanwhile, since he initially appeared on the ballot in 2012, John Dramani Mahama, the NDC’s presidential candidate, has lost more than 200,000 votes. Similar to this, the party he leads has lost a sizable number of parliamentary seats, including long-held seats like Karaga and Mion.
Therefore, if John Mahama wins the general elections in 2024, the Northern Region is a crucial electoral college for the NDC to retake.
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