By Issah Olegor
The decision by Kofi Sam Atta Mills, son of the late President John Evans Atta Mills, to publicly associate himself with the National Chairmanship campaign of Dr Akwasi Oppong-Fosu has introduced an interesting political dimension to the ongoing leadership contest within the National Democratic Congress (NDC), particularly because
Former Odododiodioo MP Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuye also has a history of working closely with his late father.
Kofi Atta Mills’ support for Oppong-Fosu has attracted attention because of the political and personal significance of his father’s legacy within the NDC. The late President Mills was a central figure in the party’s history, and his leadership was strongly associated with the principles of humility, integrity, and peaceful political engagement.
The question now being raised in political circles is why the son of the former president appears to identify more closely with Oppong-Fosu’s campaign than with that of Vanderpuye, who also served in government during the Mills era and maintained a working relationship with the late president.
Although Kofi Atta Mills has not publicly provided a detailed explanation comparing the two candidates, the message accompanying his support for Oppong-Fosu offers an indication of the values and political philosophy he associates with the former Local Government Minister.
According to the endorsement message, Kofi Atta Mills sees in Oppong-Fosu a politician who continues to identify with the ideological foundations of his late father’s administration and the founding vision of former President Jerry John Rawlings.
The message describes Oppong-Fosu as a committed cadre whose political outlook reflects humility, integrity, service, probity, accountability and putting the interests of the people first.
It presents the endorsement as more than a routine political declaration, describing it as a continuation of an ideological inheritance associated with the late President Mills.
Oppong-Fosu’s association with the Mills administration provides an important part of the background to the endorsement.
He is a founding member of the NDC and served in government under the party’s administrations. His public service career includes roles as Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, and Minister of State at the Presidency.
He also served as Member of Parliament for Amenfi East between 2013 and 2017 under President John Dramani Mahama.
His experience in government and the party’s organisational structures has become a central feature of his campaign for National Chairman.
In declaring his candidature in September 2026, Oppong-Fosu outlined a three-pronged agenda of restoration, renewal and resetting, arguing that the NDC must return to its foundational principles of probity, accountability and social justice.
He has also called for a shift away from personality-driven politics towards stronger institutions that can sustain the party beyond individual leaders.
His campaign emphasises inclusiveness, internal unity, stronger grassroots structures and the need to reconnect the national leadership with ordinary party members.
These themes appear to overlap with the political values highlighted in Kofi Atta Mills’ endorsement, particularly the emphasis on integrity, service and accountability.
The former minister has also argued that political leadership should be measured by the strength of institutions and the ability to unite competing interests rather than by public displays of political aggression.
During his campaign launch, he maintained that internal competition should not leave permanent winners and losers, insisting that the party itself must emerge stronger after every election.
The endorsement has also generated questions about Nii Lante Vanderpuye, whose political relationship with the late President Mills makes him another figure with a connection to that administration.
Vanderpuye served in government under the late president and subsequently held the position of Minister for Youth and Sports under President Mahama.
He has also repeatedly highlighted his long-standing involvement in the NDC, tracing his political journey from the party’s formative years through grassroots organisation, Parliament and government.
In announcing his chairmanship ambition, Vanderpuye presented himself as a committed party member whose decades of service had prepared him to lead the organisation.
He has argued that his experience across different levels of the party gives him the background required to strengthen its structures and restore confidence among members.
