Kwaku Sintim-Misa (KSM) has shed light on how the National Democratic Congress (NDC) struggled to gain support from Ghana’s middle-class and professional groups in its early years.
KSM revealed, “It was difficult for any student to openly say they were NDC. If you were a lawyer, you were assumed to be an NPP supporter.”
He explained that because of Rawlings’ radical military background, many educated professionals saw the NDC as too extreme.
“The NDC was grassroots. Their youth group was even called ‘Veranda Boys,’” he recalled on his political show on YouTube.
KSM noted that over the years, the party realized this was a weakness and deliberately encouraged its youth to study law and other professions to change its image.
“They had a strategy. I started seeing more lawyers and professionals proudly identifying with the NDC,” he observed.
He credited former President John Atta Mills with helping to rebrand the NDC into a more appealing party. “Bringing in Atta Mills as Rawlings’ running mate changed the perception. He was an academic, quiet, and not controversial,” he added.
KSM believes this transformation played a role in the party’s eventual success, leading to John Mahama’s presidency and the NDC’s evolving identity over the years.
