Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mustapha Gbande, has urged party members to stop speculating about who will lead the party into the 2028 presidential election.

Speaking on JoyNews' News Desk, Gbande stressed that the party’s immediate priority must be supporting President John Dramani Mahama and ensuring the success of his administration, which returned to power less than a year ago.

His comments come after a new poll by Global Info Analytics placed Tamale South MP Haruna Iddrisu as the leading contender to head the NDC in the next general elections.

Gbande, however, cautioned that such discussions are premature and risk distracting from governance.

“I am determined that President Mahama must succeed, and that is my focus in the meantime,” he stated.

“That is also the focus of the larger and majority of individuals in our party. We cannot fail the masses, we cannot fail you, we cannot fail the people of Ghana. So let us kill this conversation for now. That discussion is one for when the time is right.”

The NDC deputy chief scribe emphasised that the government is still in its early days and should be evaluated based on its performance rather than being drawn into future leadership contests.

“We just came to power, and we are yet to give a full account of our one-year term,” Gbande said.

He argued that no administration in Ghana’s democratic history has faced such high expectations and pressure so soon after assuming office.

“In the proper context of political transitions, there has never been a time when any government has, within nine months, been met with the kind of expectations we now face,” he noted.

• Read also: Haruna Iddrisu leads NDC 2028 flagbearer race – Global Info Survey

Gbande added that the NDC’s success in future elections will depend solely on how well the party delivers on its promises.

“Our trump card will be our performance. If we fail, we can go and bring Jesus Christ to come and lead the party; we will still go to the opposition,” he warned.

He also took aim at the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), arguing that they currently lack credibility.

“The only luck we have is that the alternative is not something anyone would want to venture into. Currently, they are enemies of the state and very disorganised,” Gbande asserted.

While acknowledging the relevance of the polling data and the popularity of figures like Haruna Iddrisu, Gbande insisted that the timing is wrong for leadership debates.

“We are happy that these polls are coming, no two ways about it, but I am saying that this is not the time to engage in that conversation.”