National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, has extended his lead in the party’s 2028 presidential flagbearership race, according to a new nationwide survey by Africa Policy Lens (APL).

The independent June 2026 poll, which was conducted between June 24 and July 3, interviewed 3,540 constituency and branch executives of the NDC across all 276 constituencies, found Nketiah leading with 33.8% of first-preference support, up from 31.9% in APL’s April survey.

The biggest movement was recorded by Minister of Education, Hon. Haruna Iddrisu, who surged to second place with 22.5%, up from 17.9% in April.

Finance Minister, Hon. Cassiel Ato Forson, also gained ground, rising to 15.1% from 13.0% to place third.

Chief of Staff, Hon. Julius Debrah, recorded the steepest decline, with his support dropping from 30.1% in April to 9.7% in June.

According to APL, the shift indicates the contest has moved from what appeared to be a two-person race in April to a more defined hierarchy led by Nketiah, with Iddrisu now emerging as the principal challenger.

“Johnson Asiedu Nketiah is also the candidate most frequently perceived by delegates as the principal competitor in the race,” the report stated, reinforcing his frontrunner status.

The survey found NDC delegates are prioritising competence and credibility over campaign visibility, adding that the top considerations for choosing a flagbearer were: "experience and proven track record, personal integrity and honesty, ability to unite the party, and grassroots appeal.”

Race remains open

Despite Nketiah’s advantage, APL said the contest “remains competitive and delegate preferences may continue to evolve as campaigns intensify,” citing gains by both Iddrisu and Forson between April and June.

The survey used structured telephone interviews and respondents were politically active constituency and branch executives with broad national representation and high electoral participation.

APL cautioned that the findings represent “a snapshot of grassroots sentiment during the period of data collection rather than a prediction of the eventual outcome.”

The NDC is expected to hold its presidential primary in 2027 to elect a flagbearer for the 2028 general elections.