The May 13 process will be the sixth elective delegates congress the National Democratic Congress (NDC) is holding since 1992.
The party unanimously settled on Jerry John Rawlings as its candidate in the processes leading to the 1992 and 1996 elections.
JJ went on to handpick his then vice, John Evans Atta Mills as candidate for the party’s 2000 election in the famous Swedru Declaration. Mills lost the 2000 election.
Mills will go on to contest for three primaries, winning each by a landslide even though the third victory did not lead to an election because he died before the 2012 polls were held.
When Mills died, his Vice President at the time, John Dramani Mahama was elected by the party with months to the 2012 elections. Mahama pulled over 95% of the votes and went on to win the presidential elections.
As an incumbent in the lead up to the 2016 elections, Mahama was not contested instead the party opted for a system where all registered members of the party participated in an acclamation that returned over 93% ‘YES.’
Mahama’s biggest test in a flagbearer race was in 2019 in the run up to the 2020 elections.
He came up against five party stalwarts and one outsider in the race to be on the ballot paper. In the end, Mahama prevailed with a landslide 95% win as the others scrambled with less than 5% of total votes cast.
