Majority Chief Whip Rockson Nelson Dafeamekpor has challenged claims that NDC National Chairman Johnson Asiedu Nketia, popularly known as General Mosquito, is secretly campaigning to become the party’s next flagbearer.

Speaking on PM Express on Tuesday, the South Dayi MP questioned critics to point to any statement by the chairman declaring such an ambition.

“I think the question you should ask the people is whether the chairman is going round claiming to be a flag bearer?” he asked.

Nelson Dafeamekpor said the chairman’s ongoing Thank You Tour should not be misinterpreted because it did not begin recently and has been part of the party’s post-election engagement strategy.

“What I do know is that he’s been doing this tour from about April 2025, just when the government finished with the appointment of ministers and did the regional tours,” he explained.

According to him, concerns were raised within the party that constituency executives and grassroots supporters had not been adequately appreciated after the NDC’s return to power.

“The deficit of not visiting the constituencies came up at a national executive meeting, where complaints were coming that the old man [President John Mahama] came around and they understood, but the party ought to come,” he said.

“They said the party ought to come to the grounds to come and show gratitude, because they fought hard, we’ve been in opposition for eight years.”

Dafeamekpor said the exercise has taken time because of the scale of the mobilisation involved.

“You know, logistical mobilisation to visit these constituencies is no joke. So he’s been doing it methodically, I think he will soon finish,” he noted.

He rejected suggestions that the tour gives General Mosquito an unfair advantage over any future contenders in the NDC presidential race.

“So his movement to go to the people, to the constituencies, and thank the party people and stakeholders, like chiefs and queen mothers, and some groups who supported us didn’t start yesterday, and so I don’t know how that dovetails or feeds into some agenda of campaigning as a flag,” he argued.

The South Dayi MP also dismissed claims that the current tour's visibility makes it different from previous exercises undertaken by the chairman.

“Yes. We were in opposition, go and check the records,” he said when asked whether a similar tour was undertaken in 2021.

“It was, because we’re in opposition, people thought that it was a matter of course.”

Nelson Dafeamekpor recalled that General Mosquito visited his constituency extensively after the 2020 election.

“He came to my constituency. In fact, that one, he visited three zones in my constituency. He visited Kpeve, he visited Piki, he visited Tongo, we took him to the Dzemeni market,” he recounted.

According to him, the chairman used that tour to encourage party supporters after the disputed 2020 election outcome.

“He went to tell the people that we had won elections, but we were cheated, so they should keep faith with us, and that in 2024 he’s going to lead the team, and he will annihilate the NPP,” Dafeamekpor said.

“So it is not true that this is the first time he’s doing Thank You Tour as chairman after a general election. No.”