National Democratic Congress (NDC) National Chairman, Johnson Asiedu Nketia has emerged as the leading potential flagbearer in a September 2026 survey, securing 27.6% support among delegates asked to identify the most suitable candidate to lead the party.
Food and Agriculture Minister Eric Opoku followed closely with 26.4%, placing him just 1.2 percentage points behind Asiedu Nketia.
The survey was conducted by Research and Data Management Consultant, Professor Smart Sarpong, between September 10 and 20, 2026.
Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson placed third with 16.1%, while Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu recorded 10.4%.
Vice President Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang polled 5.2%, followed by Professor Joshua Alabi with 4.4% and Dr Julius Debrah with 4.1%.
About 5.3% of respondents were classified as “Don’t know/Undisclosed”, while other potential candidates accounted for 0.5%.
The survey also asked delegates who they considered the candidate most capable of uniting the NDC.
Asiedu Nketia again topped the responses with 24.5%, followed by Eric Opoku with 20.4%.
Ato Forson recorded 12.5%, while Haruna Iddrisu polled 9.4%.
Dr Julius Debrah received 6.1%, with Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang recording 5.2% and Professor Joshua Alabi 3.6%.
A significant 16.3% of delegates were either uncertain or declined to disclose their preference on the “Most Unifier” question.
The report also provided descriptions of the perceived trajectory of support for the various potential aspirants.
It described Asiedu Nketia’s support as “peaked” and Eric Opoku’s as “rising”.
Ato Forson’s support was associated with uncertainty, while similar uncertainty was identified around the delegate support for Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang and Professor Joshua Alabi.
Haruna Iddrisu was categorised as “declining with uncertainty”, while Dr Julius Debrah was also associated with declining support amid uncertainty.
According to the methodology contained in the report, the survey was conducted across 11 regions, 136 randomly selected constituencies and 350 communities.
The study involved 9,330 respondents, comprising 5,580 stakeholders and 3,750 NDC delegates.
The findings reflect perceptions recorded during the September 10–20 survey period and do not constitute the result of an NDC flagbearer election.
The survey therefore provides a snapshot of delegate sentiment toward potential candidates rather than an official determination of who will lead the party into the next election cycle.
