History
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) is a social democratic political party in Ghana, founded by Jerry Rawlings, who was Head of State of Ghana from 1981 to 1993. He became a democratically elected President of Ghana from 1993 to 2001.
The Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) which ruled Ghana following the military coup d’état on 31 December 1981 metamorphosed into NDC as there was pressure from the international community to restore democracy. The NDC was formed in 1992, and J.J. Rawlings was elected president. He was re-elected as our presidential candidate and president in 1996. President Rawlings’ second term ended in 2001. NDC lost the presidency in the 2000 election but was re-elected in 2008 with Prof. John Atta Mills as president of Ghana. Prof. John Evans Atta Mills passed on to glory in July, 2012. Mr. John Dramani Mahama was the vice-president served the remaining term of office for late Prof. Mills. Mr. John Dramani Mahama was subsequently elected presidential candidate of the NDC at the extra ordinary congress of the party held in Kumasi for the 2012 elections. On the 9th December 2012, the Electoral Commission of Ghana declared candidate John Dramani Mahama as President-elect after a hotly contested race in which he won 50.7% of votes cast.
The NDC party symbol is an umbrella with the head of an eagle at the tip. The party colours are red, white, green, and black, and the party slogan or motto is “Unity, stability, and development.” Internationally, the NDC is a member of the Progressive Alliance and Socialist International forum.
History of NDC in National Elections
The NDC has contested all national elections since its inception.
THE 1996 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS
In the 1996 general elections, NDC had 4,099,460 representing 57.4%. The National Democratic Congress beat the New Patriotic Party by 1,264,582. The percentage turnout was 57.4%
THE 2000 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS
The 2000 election was the first presidential election since 1992 that an incumbent president was not on the ballot. Jerry Rawlings’ eight-year tenure had expired as per the Constitution of Ghana. John Atta Mills became the presidential candidate
of the National Democratic Congress at a special delegate congress held in Ho in the Volta Region of Ghana. He was popularly acclaimed the presidential candidate of the party for the 2000 presidential election.
The 2000 elections recorded two rounds-first round and second round. In the first round, NDC recorded 2,880,078 representing 43.84% and NPP recorded 3,215,561 representing 48.94%. A second round had to be conducted by the electoral commission. In the second round, the NDC had 2,682,071 representing 43.55% and NPP recorded 3,477,152 representing 56.46%. The difference between NDC and NPP was 795,081votes.
THE 2004 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS
In the 2004 elections our party’s manifesto called for “A Better Ghana”. Prof. John Atta Mills ran for the NDC in the 2004 presidential elections. In the 2004 elections, NPP recorded 4,451,100 votes representing 52.06%, NDC had 3,846,533 votes representing 44.99%. The party won only 94 of the 230 seats parliament.
THE 2008 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS
On 21 December 2006, Prof. Mills was overwhelmingly elected as our candidate for the 2008 presidential election with a majority of 81.4%, or 1,362 votes. Ekwow Spio-Garbrah was second with 8.7% (146 votes), Alhaji Mahama Iddrisu was third with 8.2% (137 votes), and Eddie Annan was fourth with 1.7% (28 votes). In April 2008, Mr. John Daramani Mahama was chosen as the party’s vice-presidential candidate. On 3 January 2009, Mills was certified as the victor of the 28 December 2008 run-off election and became the next president of Ghana. Two rounds were recorded in that year’s election. In the first round, NDC recorded 4,070,889(47.76%) and NPP received 4,204,073 (49.32%). In the second round, NDC gathered 4,521,032(50.23%) and NPP gathered 4,480,446(49.77%). NDC was able to beat NPP by 40,586 votes. Professor John Evans Fiifi Atta Mills was certified as the winner of the run-off election on January 3, 2009, by a margin of less than one per cent. It is one of the closest elections in the history of Ghana.
The 2012 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS
In the 2012 presidential elections, NDC secured 5,574,761 representing 50.70%. The NPP gathered 5,248,898 representing 47.74%. In this elections, NDC flopped NPP by 325,863 votes. President John Atta Mills passed onto glory after a short illness, in the afternoon of 24 July 2012 while still in office. Vice President John Dramani Mahama of the NDC was sworn in as president that evening. The NDC
picked John Dramani Mahama for our presidential candidate and sitting vice president Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur as the vice-presidential candidate for the 2012 elections. On the 9th December 2012, the Electoral Commission of Ghana declared candidate John Dramani Mahama as President-elect after a hotly contested race in which we won 50.7% of votes cast.
THE 2016 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS
In November 2015 after securing an overwhelming 1,199 118 out of a total of 1, 286, 728 votes representing 95.10% party members in the presidential primaries, President John Dramani Mahama was endorsed to lead the NDC in the 2016 general elections. The 2016 presidential elections saw NPP gather 5,716,026 (53.85%). NDC obtained 4,713,277 (44.40 %%). The difference between NDC and NPP was 1,002,749 votes. The total valid votes for the election was 10,615,361. The percentage turnout was 68.62% and total registered voters amounted to 15,712,499 votes.
Since the formation of inception of the NDC, we have formed two governments following elections, and a third following the death of President Mills. The list of governments is as follows: