Gbande is the Deputy Director of Operations at the Presidency and NDC’s Deputy National Organiser
The Deputy Director of Operations at the Office of the President, Mustapha Gbande, has given details of the recently announced directive of his party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), for all government appointees to resign if they want to contest for any party position.
Speaking in a recent interview on Asempa FM, Gbande, who is also a Deputy National Organiser of the NDC, said that the decision was unanimously agreed on by the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party after extensive deliberations.
He indicated that NEC accepted the move to ensure that government appointees can focus on supporting President John Dramani Mahama to execute his vision, while the NDC executives focus on running the party.
He disclosed that this was not the first time the issue had been considered by the NDC NEC, but it was agreed that it would take effect from the party’s next internal elections.
“This is the second time this decision was taken to NEC. The first time was after the president unprecedentedly appointed a lot of party executives into government, based on competence and hard work. We realised that if we don’t make some of the appointees resign, it might affect the efficiency of the party.
“The beautiful thing is that about 80% of the membership of NEC are all appointees. So, when the issue was raised for the first time, it was agreed that the executives who had been appointed into government should be allowed to work, and the issue be looked at for subsequent elections,” he said.
He added, “So, the decision was withdrawn and reintroduced to NEC. It was deliberated on and unanimously agreed that six months is the ideal period within which appointees, who fall within the category outlined in the election regulations, must resign.”
The decision was first announced by the General Secretary of the party, Fifi Fiavi Kwetey.
Speaking at a press conference in Accra on Thursday, January 29, 2026, Fifi Kwetey stated that government appointees who wish to contest party positions in the party’s National Executive elections, scheduled for December 2026, must resign from their governmental offices.
He explained that the directive is part of measures implemented by the party’s National Executive Committee.
Government appointees who intend to contest party positions are required to resign at least six clear months before submitting their nomination forms.
He said, “The affected officers include, but are not limited to, ministers and deputy ministers; chief executive officers, their deputies or analogous officers; and Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives.”
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Watch a video of his remarks below:
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