President John Dramani Mahama has stressed that Ghana’s policies are shaped by its legal framework, cultural values, and national consensus, therefore, international partners must respect Ghana’s sovereignty and democratic processes.
According to President Mahama, the passage of the bill will be driven by the Ghanaian people, not imposed by his government.
“What the eventual nature of the bill would be, nobody can second-guess Parliament, and I, as President, cannot anticipate Parliament in respect of that bill. But I believe that our democracy will work out. Memoranda are being accepted from people from all walks of life.
“Civil Society Organisations are presenting their papers to Parliament and I believe that the representatives of the people will make the will of Ghanaians reflect in whatever eventually comes out.
“That level of tolerance in the political atmosphere is what has given Ghana the advantage it has. We have a relatively independent judiciary that we have confidence will adjudicate matters fairly,” he added.
President Mahama made the statement after receiving the ‘International Statesperson Award’ from the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia.
His comment was a reaction to a recent decision taken by the Lincoln University in the United States (U.S.) against him.
Management of Lincoln University in the United States (U.S.) on Tuesday, March 24, took a u-turn over its decision to confer an honorary doctorate (honoris causa) on President John Dramani Mahama.
According to the University, revocation follows calls from one group alleging President Mahama’s view on Ghana’s Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, popularly known as the anti-gay Bill.
However, Ghana’s Embassy in the United States expressed profound disappointment following the development.
The embassy in n a statement released on Tuesday, March 24, noted “It is both surprising and regrettable that such concerns have surfaced at this late stage, particularly with the President already in the United States in anticipation of the visit”.
President Mahama was expected to have paid a visit the Lincoln University on Wednesday, March 25. President Mahama on several occasions has pledged to sign into law the anti-gay Bill.
Having expired with the conclusion of the previous 8th Parliament’s session, the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has directed the Business Committee to schedule the reintroduced bill for parliamentary deliberation.
The bill, which aims to outlaw LGBTQ+ activities and criminalise their promotion, advocacy, and funding, was previously passed by the 8th Parliament.
Meanwhile, President John Dramani Mahama has confidently stated that he will sign anti-LGBTQ bill once it is successfully approved by parliament.
During a courtesy visit by the Christian Council of Ghana on Tuesday, November 18, at Jubilee House, the president mentioned all the factors that must come to play for him to assent to the bill.
“I believe that we have no questions or equivocations about what we believe. I believe that we are completely aligned with the Christian Council in terms of your belief. We agree with the Speaker to relay the bill and let Parliament debate it.”
“And if there are any amendments or adjustments that need to be made, if the people’s representatives in Parliament endorse the bill, vote on it, and pass it, and it comes to me as president, I will sign it,” President Mahama said.
Before his return to office, President Mahama had already expressed a cautious approach toward the bill, emphasizing the need for a constitutional review.
Speaking with BBC Africa on December 4, he elaborated: “It is not an anti-LGBTQI Bill; it is a Family Values Bill. It was approved unanimously by our Parliament. [LGBTQI] is against our African culture, it is against our religious faith, but I think we must look at the Bill, and the president must indicate what he finds wrong with that bill and send it back to Parliament or alternatively he must send it to the Council of State and get the Council of State’s advice.”
When asked if he would sign the bill into law if elected, Mahama responded cautiously, stating, “It depends on what is in the Bill.” He emphasized that any decision would be based on a thorough examination of the bill’s content and legal compliance. “That is what I would have done,” he affirmed.
While proponents argue the bill is necessary to safeguard Ghanaian cultural and moral values from external influences, human rights advocates have raised concerns, stating it infringes on freedoms of expression, association, and equality under the law.
The bill previously faced legal opposition from journalist Richard Dela Sky and academic Dr. Amanda Odoi, who contested its passage, citing a lack of parliamentary quorum.
The Supreme Court, however, dismissed their challenge, with Justice Lovelace Johnson clarifying that a bill can only be subject to constitutional scrutiny after receiving presidential assent.
Former Finance Minister, Seth Terkper, has indicated that the government’s efforts to tackle the unemployment rate in Ghana are being affected by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme.
Speaking to the media on Monday, March 24, the situation has forced the government to depend largely on short-term borrowing through treasury bills.
“If you look at the NDC manifesto, there’s a plan to create jobs already. But when you come into an economy where, under the IMF programme we inherited, compared to what we handed over, all you can do is borrow T-Bills. You’ve been shut out of your own domestic bond market, which we set up. You’ve been shut out of the external bond market because you’ve defaulted,” Terkper noted.
Ghana’s programme with the global lender is scheduled to end in May 2026, following a final review slated for April 2026. However, should the IMF’s recommendations be approved, the programme would be extended through August 2026.
Part of the IMF report reads, “The extension through August 16, 2026, would help reach an understanding on the policies supporting completion of the 6th review, while allowing sufficient time to prepare and circulate Board documents.”
So far, Ghana has secured about US$2.8 billion following the successful completion of the fifth programme review. The new development is expected to trigger the release of a sixth tranche of US$380 million. Reacting to the approval, the Minister for Finance, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, noted that the approval represents meaningful progress in the country’s broader economic recovery agenda.
IMF’s Resident Representative in Ghana, Dr Adrian Alter, has declared Ghana’s programme “solid and on track”.
His comments come nearly a month after the IMF Executive Board completed the fifth review of Ghana’s Extended Credit Facility (ECF) arrangement on 18 December 2025.
During an appearance on Joy News’ PM Express Business Edition on Thursday, January 15, Dr Alter mentioned disbursements and affirmed confidence in Ghana’s economic recovery path.
“Ghana’s program remains solid and on track, with the fifth review completed and the disbursement made at the end of December,” he said.
According to him, following a board meeting at which Ghana’s performance was assessed, it was concluded that “the IMF Board has met and approved the programme on December 17 and categorised the overall performance of Ghana as generally satisfactory,” with all indicative and performance criteria targets met and most of the reform agenda implemented.
He disclosed that total disbursements under the ECF programme had now reached about $2.8 billion.
“All indicative and performance criteria targets have been met,” Dr Alter said. “Most of the reform agenda has been concluded and implemented.”
His comments come amid public debate over whether Ghana’s performance under the programme reflects real economic progress or favourable treatment by the IMF.
Responding to that concern, Dr Alter said the assessment was grounded in measurable outcomes and recent policy actions by the authorities.
“The authorities implemented strong corrective actions in the aftermath of the 2024 fiscal slippages,” he said, adding that “the 2025 macroeconomic outcomes have been better than expected.”
He pointed to improvements across key economic indicators.
“Inflation came down faster than expected,” he said. “Growth exceeded expectations. Reserves have improved. The currency appreciated and stabilised.”
Dr Alter said the gains were occurring alongside progress on debt restructuring.“There are many, many macroeconomic indicators that perform very well at the same time the debt restructuring progress has been advanced,” he said.
The Civil and Local Government Staff Association, Ghana (CLOGSAG) has put on hold its ongoing strike to allow the government sometime to address its grievances.
However, speaking to the media on Tuesday, March 17, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of CLOGSAG, Edmund Acquaye, warned that the Association will lay down its tools again if the government fails to act within 14 days.
The group reversed its decision after the government assured its leadership that concerns raised during the industrial action, which began nearly three weeks ago over demands for a review of its salary structure and conditions of service, would be addressed.
“This action we have taken is based on the assurance given by government that within 14 days, they are going to take a critical look at our issues with the salary structure and also our conditions of service. After the 14 days, we will assess the situation, and if our issues remain unresolved, we will decide our next line of action,” the PRO stated.
The Association announced on March 5 through a formal press release addressed to key government offices that it will embark on a nationwide strike over what they describe as a delay in the government’s failure to implement a unique salary structure and improved conditions of service.
The notice, signed by Executive Secretary Isaac Bampoe Addo, ordered all members of the Civil Service and Local Government Service to stay home until further notice.
The circular, addressed to the Head of Civil Service, the Head of Local Government Service, regional secretaries, and all members of the association across the country, simply instructed: “Stay at home until further notice.”
According to the Executive Secretary of CLOGSAG, Isaac Bampoe Addo, negotiations on the proposed salary framework began as far back as 2019, i.e, seven (7) years ago, following which two separate Memoranda of Understanding were signed between the association and government representatives.
Under the agreement, the government was supposed to implement the new salary structure effective January 1, 2023. However, authorities later requested additional time, pushing the implementation date to January 1, 2025. That deadline also passed without the agreed-upon changes being implemented.
Consequently, Mr Addo said his outfit had to take the necessary steps to ensure their demands were met, leading to the strike after several attempts to secure an audience with the Ministry of Labour, Jobs and Employment and the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission through multiple letters requesting action, but without a satisfactory response.
Mr Addo continued that, before they announced the industrial action on March 5, they had informed the National Labour Commission (NLC) of their intention to strike after a National Executive Council meeting held on February 19.
The association said the government was given nearly three weeks to demonstrate what Mr Bampoe Addo described as “good intentions” before the strike took effect.
However, the National Labour Commission has described the strike as illegal and has directed the union to appear before it on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. to discuss the matter.
Almost immediately after Ayawaso East Member of Parliament (MP), Baba Jamal, was sworn into Parliament by the Speaker, Alban Bagbin, on Tuesday, March 10, images of the newly sworn-in MP sleeping began circulating online.
Reacting to the images, the former High Commissioner to Nigeria indicated that they were manipulated and do not reflect what actually occurred during parliamentary proceedings.
“There are several of the photos going around. Even one of them had me with my mouth wide open. These are AI-generated photos,” he explained during an interview with Accra-based Okay FM.
Baba Jamal suggested the circulation of the images is part of efforts by some individuals to discredit him following what he described as a significant moment in his political journey.
“People would always want to dent every beautiful thing when it happens,” he added.
His swearing-in came after constituents in Ayawaso East on Tuesday, March 3, elected the National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate Mohammed Baba Jamal Ahmed as their MP.
More than 49,000 registered voters participated in the by-election conducted at 113 polling stations. Baba Jamal polled 10,884 votes to beat the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Yussif Baba Ali, who secured 4,009 votes.
The three other contestants were the Liberal Party of Ghana’s (LPG) candidate, Ibrahim Iddrisu, who polled 43 votes; Independent candidate Alhaji Mohammed Umaru Sanda secured 1,885 votes; and another Independent candidate, David Kanor, had 104 votes.
Ahead of the by-election, a poll by Global InfoAnalytics predicted victory for Baba Jamal. The survey projected that the NDC candidate would secure about 75 per cent of the votes, ahead of his main contender, the NPP’s Baba Ali.
The by-election saw low voter turnout. The NDC now has 186 seats in Parliament.
“At the end of the voting exercise for the parliamentary by-election for the Ayawaso East constituency, five candidates contested in the polls. The first one is Baba Jamal Mohammed, and he polled 10,884 votes; the second candidate on the ballot, Ibrahim Iddrisu Mohammed, also polled 43 votes; Yusuf Ali Baba polled 4,009 votes.
“The fourth candidate, Mohammed Umah Sunda, also polled 1,885 votes. The fifth candidate, an independent candidate, David Kanor, polled 104 votes.
“In all, we had 16,928 valid votes, 120 votes were rejected, and in that case, the total votes cast amount to 17048. Looking at the just announced results, I, Samuel Anim Ofori, the retaining officer of the Ayawaso East constituency, hereby announce to you your new MP elect Baba Jamal Mohammed,” the retaining officer stated.
Reacting to the announcement, Baba Jamal noted, “In the first place, I want to thank the almighty Allah for giving us this victory. Let me say that I dedicate this victory to my 93-year-old mother. I also want to thank my wife and my children for standing beside me and supporting me this far”.
For months, the constituency had been without representation following the death of its long-serving legislator, Alhaji Mahama Naser Toure. He was reported dead on January 4 after a short illness at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital. In accordance with Islamic customs, he was buried within 24 hours of his passing.
Naser Toure Mahama was widely regarded as a grassroots politician whose parliamentary work focused on urban renewal in Nima and youth empowerment within Zongo communities.
Baba Ali was projected to trail with 21%, independent candidate Umaru Sanda Muhammed expected to poll 3% of the vote, with the other remaining candidates, Ibrahim Iddrisu and David, to garner less than 1%.
Independent aspirant Umaru Sanda Muhammed, who recently severed ties with the NDC, was projected to secure about 3 per cent of the vote.
The by-election attracted heightened attention in recent days amid internal developments within the NDC, including allegations of vote buying during its parliamentary primary.
On February 7, Baba Jamal won the Ayawaso East Constituency primary following the party’s internal primary held.
After the close of polls, provisional results showed that Baba Jamal polled 431 votes out of the total votes cast, followed by the widow of the late Ayawaso MP, Naser Toure Hajia Amina Adam, who secured 399 votes.
Mr Mohammed Ramne, the Ayawaso East NDC Constituency Chairman, placed third with 88 votes. Dr Yakubu Azindow received 45 votes, while Mr Najib Mohammed Sani received 1 vote.
The government has launched a new framework to improve transparency in the leasing of public lands in Ghana. Speaking to the media on Wednesday, March 11, Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Yusif Sulemana, announced a 70% upfront payment requirement for public land leases.
He explained that the remaining 30% will be spread over the duration of the lease as ground rent. According to him, the new development is to boost state revenue while ensuring that public land resources are managed more efficiently.
“The Ministry, in collaboration with the Lands Commission, has introduced a new premium framework for public lands leases. Under this new framework, a minimum of 70 percent of the assessed market value of a public land will be paid upfront as a premium. The remaining 30 percent will be structured over the tenure of the lease as grand rent.
“This reform is intended to promote value for money, enhance revenue generation for the state, and ensure that public lands are allocated in a manner consistent with national economic interests,” he added.
The reform was developed through collaboration between the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and the Lands Commission. Last month, Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, revealed the termination of all incomplete public land deals carried out between 2017 and 2024 that did not comply with required procedures, while unveiling wide-ranging reforms intended to improve accountability, openness, and cost-effectiveness in managing state lands.
Speaking at a press briefing, the Minister described the decision as “a critical milestone in our collective efforts to strengthen integrity, transparency, and accountability in the administration of public lands, which are held in trust for the people of Ghana.”
Presidential directive and committee assessment
He indicated that on January 10, 2025, John Dramani Mahama instructed the Lands Commission to suspend all processes connected to leasing and handling transactions involving public lands. He explained that the directive was introduced to protect state lands from misuse, restore order within land management systems, and ensure that such transactions “deliver value for money to the State.”
Following the directive, a committee led by the Deputy Minister was established on June 5, 2025, to examine public land leases under the Government’s Resetting Agenda.
The committee reviewed 8,160 lease applications that were either completed or initiated between 2017 and 2024 across all sixteen regions.
These included:
4,176 Direct Allocations
2,799 Regularizations
19 Direct Allocations relating to State Bungalows 108 Land Swap or Public-Private Partnership arrangements 795 Subsequent Transactions
263 Fresh Allocations
The review revealed that a number of these allocations did not fully comply with the Lands Commission’s internal procedures, thereby undermining transparency and exposing the system to potential abuse.
Immediate Cancellations and Case-by-Case Reviews Cabinet has approved the Committee’s recommendations and directed their immediate implementation. The Minister announced that:
All uncompleted transactions within the reviewed categories have been cancelled, and affected applicants will be formally notified. Completed transactions will undergo case-by-case review, and any allocation processed without full compliance will be cancelled.
All uncompleted regularisation applications remain suspended pending a comprehensive review and standardisation of procedures. “For the avoidance of doubt,” he clarified, “a transaction will be treated as completed where a formal offer has been issued and accepted by the applicant.”
Both completed and uncompleted application lists will be published region-by-region, beginning with Greater Accra, on the Ministry and Lands Commission websites.
Completed transactions under review will be assessed against clear benchmarks, including statutory compliance, value for money, conformity with planning requirements, and enhanced disclosure to prevent misuse of corporate structures.
“These measures are not intended to unfairly disadvantage anyone,” the Minister emphasised, adding that affected applicants will be allowed to reapply under the new regime.
Major reforms introduced
The Minister outlined six major reform pillars.
Revision of Public Land Application Form (Form 5)
A key finding was the inconsistent application of Form 5 across regions, resulting in discretionary practices.The Ministry has revised Form 5 to serve as the single mandatory application instrument nationwide. It will be published online and made accessible for electronic submission.
Overhaul of internal allocation processes
The Ministry has also reviewed the Lands Commission’s internal procedures to eliminate inconsistencies and strengthen internal checks.
Under the revised framework, “no public land will be allocated by the Lands Commission without the prior written approval of the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources.”The move, he explained, reinforces ministerial oversight and adds a safeguard against unauthorised allocations.
Legislative backing
To prevent a return to past practices, the revised application form and internal processes will be incorporated into a draft Land Regulation currently under review.
New 70% premium framework
One of the most significant changes relates to land valuation. The Minister revealed that premiums for public land leases had historically ranged between 1% and 30% of market value, significantly undervaluing state assets.
Under the new framework, “a minimum of 70 per cent of the assessed market value of public land will be payable upfront as a premium, with the remaining 30 per cent structured over the tenure of the lease as ground rent.”
He further reminded State Institutions, pursuant to Section 235(4) of the Land Act, 2020 (Act 1036), that allocations confer only user rights and do not permit transactions without prior written ministerial approval.
Publication of market value data
To enhance transparency, the Ministry and Lands Commission will compile and publish reliable market value data for defined land clusters nationwide.
The data will serve as a reference for assessing premiums and ensuring objective, predictable decision-making.
A Public Land Protection Task Force will be established during the reform transition period.
The Task Force will operate within the framework of the Constitution, the Lands Commission Act, 2008 (Act 767), the Land Act, 2020 (Act 1036), and applicable criminal laws.It will comprise personnel from:
Mimi, the mother of the newly elected Ayawaso East Member of Parliament, Baba Jamal Mohammed Ahmed, has taken the spotlight following her son’s victory in the just-ended by-elections.
The former High Commissioner to Nigeria won against five other contenders in the race for the Ayawaso East election yesterday, Monday, March 3, following the death of MP Naser Toure Mahama.
Speaking during a post-election victory, the former Akwatia MP revealed that his 93-year-old mother had promised to ensure his return to Parliament, a promise that has now been fulfilled.
“I want to thank the Almighty Allah for giving us this victory. Let me state that I dedicate this victory to my 93-year-old mother, Mimi, for promising to support me and ensuring that one day I would go back to Parliament,” he declared.
He noted that for years, she carried the conviction that her son would return to the House. Tuesday’s result, he said, was more than a political comeback; it was the fulfilment of a promise.
“Today, her vision and wish have come true. And I thank Allah for her life, and I dedicate this victory to her.”
Although Madam Mimi stayed out of the spotlight during her son’s campaign ahead of the election, he insists that her resilience shaped his campaign. He then went on to remind his supporters that the win belonged to the constituency as much as to his family.
“I want to state that this victory is not for me, Baba Jamal, alone; it’s for the good people of Ayawaso East. I want to thank all of them for having confidence in me and electing me as their parliamentary candidate-elect,” he added.
More than 49,000 registered voters participated in the by-election conducted at 113 polling stations. Baba Jamal polled 10,884 votes to beat the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Yussif Baba Ali, who secured 4,009 votes.
The three other contesters: the Liberal Party of Ghana’s (LPG) candidate, Ibrahim Iddrisu, polled 43 votes, Independent candidate Alhaji Mohammed Umaru Sanda secured 1,885 and another Independent candidate, David Kannor.
Ahead of the by-election, a poll by Global InfoAnalytics predicted victory for Baba Jamal. The survey projected that the NDC candidate would secure about 75 per cent of the votes, ahead of his main contender, the NPP’s Baba Ali.
The by-election was marked by low voter turnout. The NDC now has 189 seats in Parliament.
“At the end of the voting exercise for the parliamentary by-election for the Ayawaso East constituency
Five candidates contested in the polls, the first one is Baba Jamal Mohammed, and he polled 10,884 votes; the second candidate on the ballot, Ibrahim Iddrisu Mohammed, also polled 43 votes; Yusuf Ali Baba polled 4,009 votes.
“The fourth candidate, Mohammed Umah Sunda, also polled 1,885 votes. The fifth candidate, Tanoh, also an independent candidate, polled 104 votes.
“In all, we had 16,928 valid votes, 120 votes were rejected and in that case total votes cast amount to 17048. Looking at the just announced results, I, Samuel Anim Ofori, the retaining officer of the Ayawaso East constituency, hereby announce to you your new MP elect Baba Jamal Mohammed,” the retaining officer stated.
For months, the constituency had been without representation following the death of its long-serving legislator, Alhaji Mahama Naser Toure. He was reported dead on January 4 after a short illness at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital. In accordance with Islamic customs, he was buried within 24 hours of his passing.
Naser Toure Mahama was widely regarded as a grassroots politician whose parliamentary work focused on urban renewal in Nima and youth empowerment within Zongo communities.
Baba Ali was projected to trail with 21%, independent candidate Umaru Sanda Muhammed expected to poll 3% of the vote, with the other remaining candidates, Ibrahim Iddrisu and David, to garner less than 1%.
Independent aspirant Umaru Sanda Muhammed, who recently severed ties with the NDC, was projected to secure about 3 per cent of the vote.
The by-election attracted heightened attention in recent days amid internal developments within the NDC, including allegations of vote buying during its parliamentary primary.
On February 7, Baba Jamal won the Ayawaso East Constituency primary following the party’s internal primary held.
After the close of polls, provisional results showed that Baba Jamal polled 431 votes out of the total votes cast, followed by the widow of the late Ayawaso MP, Naser Toure Hajia Amina Adam who secured 399 votes.
Mr Mohammed Ramne, the Ayawaso East NDC Constituency Chairman, placed third with 88 votes. Dr Yakubu Azindow obtained 45 votes, while Mr Najib Mohammed Sani recorded one vote.
The closely contested primary attracted more than 1,100 accredited delegates from across the constituency, reflecting the high stakes involved in selecting a candidate for the by-election in a seat widely regarded as a stronghold of the governing NDC.
Five aspirants contested the race: Hajia Amina Adam, Mr Baba Jamal, Dr Yakubu Azindow, who had previously contested the late MP in the 2023 primary, Mr. Mohammed Ramne, and Mr Mohammed Sani. Although the race was initially considered open, it later narrowed into a tight contest among Mr Jamal, Hajia Amina Adam and Dr Azindow.
Even though the election was peaceful on Saturday, reports of vote buying emerged on the eve of the election and on election day, involving some candidates, including Baba Jamal, who at the time was Ghana’s High Commissioner to Nigeria and allegedly offered television sets and other items to delegates.
Videos circulating on social media showed some delegates leaving polling centres carrying television sets and other items. Reacting to the vote-buying allegations, the NDC, in a statement signed by its Secretary, Fiifi Kwetey, announced that it would investigate the allegations.
It noted that a three-member committee had been set up to probe the matter. In a statement issued on the same day, the NDC said its national executives had taken note of what it described as widespread incidents of inducement and vote buying allegedly perpetrated by some aspirants.
The party condemned the acts, describing them as an affront to its values and principles, and announced that it had launched investigations into the matter.
Constituents in the Ayawaso East region will elect a Member of Parliament (MP) for the area on Tuesday March 3.
The by-election follows the death of the constituency’s Member of Parliament, Naser Toure Mahama, leaving the seat unrepresented.
Meanwhile, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate, Baba Jamal, is projected to win in the upcoming Ayawaso East by-election.
According to a new poll by Global InfoAnalytics Baba Jamal will secure about 75% of the votes ahead of his main contender, Baba Ali of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
The New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Baba Ali has been projected to trail with 21%, independent candidate Umaru Sanda Muhammed is expected to poll 3% of the vote, with other remaining candidates, Ibrahim Iddrisu and David, to garner less than 1%.
The survey was conducted between February 28 and March 1, sampling 972 voters across the constituency.
The EC has scheduled the Ayawaso East by-election for March 3, 2026, the by-election has attracted heightened attention in recent days amid internal developments within the NDC, including allegations of vote buying during its parliamentary primary.
Mr Baba Jamal Mohammed Ahmed won the Ayawaso East Constituency primary and is set to represent the NDC as its parliamentary candidate in the March 3 by-election, following the party’s internal primary held on February 7, 2026.
After the close of polls, provisional results showed that Baba Jamal polled 431 votes out of the total votes cast, followed by the widow of the late Ayawaso MP, Naser Toure Hajia Amina Adam who secured 399 votes. Mr Mohammed Ramne, the Ayawaso East NDC Constituency Chairman, placed third with 88 votes.
Dr Yakubu Azindow obtained 45 votes, while Mr Najib Mohammed Sani recorded one vote.
The closely contested primary attracted more than 1,100 accredited delegates from across the constituency, reflecting the high stakes involved in selecting a candidate for the by-election in a seat widely regarded as a stronghold of the governing NDC.
Five aspirants contested the race: Hajia Amina Adam, Mr Baba Jamal, Dr Yakubu Azindow, who had previously contested the late MP in the 2023 primary, Mr. Mohammed Ramne, and Mr Mohammed Sani.
Although the race was initially considered open, it later narrowed into a tight contest among Mr Jamal, Hajia Amina Adam and Dr Azindow.
Even though the election was peaceful on Saturday, reports of vote buying emerged on the eve of the election and on election day, involving some candidates, including Baba Jamal, who at the time was Ghana’s High Commissioner to Nigeria and allegedly offered television sets and other items to delegates.
Videos circulating on social media showed some delegates leaving polling centres carrying television sets and other items.Reacting to the vote-buying allegations, the NDC, in a statement signed by its Secretary, Fiifi Kwetey, announced that it would investigate the allegations. It noted that a three-member committee had been set up to probe the matter.
In a statement issued on the same day, the NDC said its national executives had taken note of what it described as widespread incidents of inducement and vote buying allegedly perpetrated by some aspirants.
The party condemned the acts, describing them as an affront to its values and principles, and announced that it had launched investigations into the matter.
“In line with the Party’s commitment to internal democracy, transparency, and ethical political conduct, the Committee will investigate the allegations and make appropriate recommendations, including sanctions where necessary,” the statement said.
The Presidency has announced the recall of Ghana’s High Commissioner to Nigeria, Baba Jamal, over voter inducement during the just-ended Ayawaso East primaries held on Saturday, February 7.
In a statement titled “President recalls Ghana’s High Commissioner to Nigeria,” shared by the Spokesperson to the President, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, and dated February 7, it noted that “President John Dramani Mahama has directed the immediate recall of Mohammed Baba Jamal Ahmed (Baba Jamal) from his position as Ghana’s High Commissioner to the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The decision follows allegations of voter inducement during today’s National Democratic Congress (NDC) primaries in the Ayawaso East Constituency, in which Mr Baba Jamal, a candidate, participated.”
The President stressed that reports of vote buying were made against several candidates seeking to win the Ayawaso East seat, but Baba Jamal stood out because he was the only serving public officer at the time, making his case a peculiar one.
“In his directive to the Minister for Foreign Affairs recalling Mr Baba Jamal as High Commissioner, the President noted that while allegations of vote-buying were made against multiple candidates who contested the primaries, Baba Jamal was the only serving public officer among them.”
Consequently, to protect the integrity of public office and to avoid any public suspicion of misconduct or violation of the Government’s Code of Conduct for Political Appointees, the President stated:
“Without prejudice to the ongoing internal party processes, and strictly in view of the standards of conduct expected of public officers, the President considers it necessary to act decisively to preserve the integrity of public office and to avoid any perception of impropriety or conflict with the Government’s Code of Conduct for Political Appointees.”
The statement continued that “the recall takes effect immediately, and the Minister for Foreign Affairs has been directed to take the necessary administrative and diplomatic steps to give effect to this directive.”
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate, Baba Jamal, is projected to win in the upcoming Ayawaso East by-election scheduled for Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
According to a new poll by Global InfoAnalytics Baba Jamal will secure about 75% of the votes ahead of his main contender, Baba Ali of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
The New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Baba Ali has been projected to trail with 21%, independent candidate Umaru Sanda Muhammed is expected to poll 3% of the vote, with other remaining candidates, Ibrahim Iddrisu and David to garner less than 1%.
The survey was conducted between February 28 and March 1, sampling 972 voters across the constituency.
The EC has scheduled the Ayawaso East by-election for March 3, 2026, the by-election has attracted heightened attention in recent days amid internal developments within the NDC, including allegations of vote buying during its parliamentary primary.
Mr Baba Jamal Mohammed Ahmed won the Ayawaso East Constituency primary and is set to represent the NDC as its parliamentary candidate in the March 3 by-election, following the party’s internal primary held on February 7, 2026.
After the close of polls, provisional results showed that Baba Jamal polled 431 votes out of the total votes cast, followed by the widow of the late Ayawaso MP, Naser Toure Hajia Amina Adam who secured 399 votes. Mr Mohammed Ramne, the Ayawaso East NDC Constituency Chairman, placed third with 88 votes.
Dr Yakubu Azindow obtained 45 votes, while Mr Najib Mohammed Sani recorded one vote.
The closely contested primary attracted more than 1,100 accredited delegates from across the constituency, reflecting the high stakes involved in selecting a candidate for the by-election in a seat widely regarded as a stronghold of the governing NDC.
Five aspirants contested the race: Hajia Amina Adam, Mr Baba Jamal, Dr Yakubu Azindow, who had previously contested the late MP in the 2023 primary, Mr. Mohammed Ramne, and Mr Mohammed Sani.
Although the race was initially considered open, it later narrowed into a tight contest among Mr Jamal, Hajia Amina Adam and Dr Azindow.
Even though the election was peaceful on Saturday, reports of vote buying emerged on the eve of the election and on election day, involving some candidates, including Baba Jamal, who at the time was Ghana’s High Commissioner to Nigeria and allegedly offered television sets and other items to delegates.
Videos circulating on social media showed some delegates leaving polling centres carrying television sets and other items. Reacting to the vote-buying allegations, the NDC, in a statement signed by its Secretary, Fiifi Kwetey, announced that it would investigate the allegations. It noted that a three-member committee had been set up to probe the matter.
In a statement issued on the same day, the NDC said its national executives had taken note of what it described as widespread incidents of inducement and vote buying allegedly perpetrated by some aspirants.
The party condemned the acts, describing them as an affront to its values and principles, and announced that it had launched investigations into the matter.
“In line with the Party’s commitment to internal democracy, transparency, and ethical political conduct, the Committee will investigate the allegations and make appropriate recommendations, including sanctions where necessary,” the statement said.
The Presidency has announced the recall of Ghana’s High Commissioner to Nigeria, Baba Jamal, over voter inducement during the just-ended Ayawaso East primaries held on Saturday, February 7.
In a statement titled “President recalls Ghana’s High Commissioner to Nigeria,” shared by the Spokesperson to the President, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, and dated February 7, it noted that “President John Dramani Mahama has directed the immediate recall of Mohammed Baba Jamal Ahmed (Baba Jamal) from his position as Ghana’s High Commissioner to the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The decision follows allegations of voter inducement during today’s National Democratic Congress (NDC) primaries in the Ayawaso East Constituency, in which Mr Baba Jamal, a candidate, participated.”
The President stressed that reports of vote buying were made against several candidates seeking to win the Ayawaso East seat, but Baba Jamal stood out because he was the only serving public officer at the time, making his case a peculiar one.
“In his directive to the Minister for Foreign Affairs recalling Mr Baba Jamal as High Commissioner, the President noted that while allegations of vote-buying were made against multiple candidates who contested the primaries, Baba Jamal was the only serving public officer among them.”
Consequently, to protect the integrity of public office and to avoid any public suspicion of misconduct or violation of the Government’s Code of Conduct for Political Appointees, the President stated:
“Without prejudice to the ongoing internal party processes, and strictly in view of the standards of conduct expected of public officers, the President considers it necessary to act decisively to preserve the integrity of public office and to avoid any perception of impropriety or conflict with the Government’s Code of Conduct for Political Appointees.”
The statement continued that “the recall takes effect immediately, and the Minister for Foreign Affairs has been directed to take the necessary administrative and diplomatic steps to give effect to this directive.”
President John Dramani Mahama has assented to the 24-Hour Economy Authority Bill, 2025, following its approval by Parliament.
The president approved on Thursday in a brief ceremony held ahead of the 13th Cabinet meeting at Jubilee House.
The president noted after the signing the Bill, “Cabinet colleagues, I just appended my signature to give assent to the 24-hour Authority Bill. This Bill, which Ghanaians have been waiting for, was one of our flagship strategies for economic transformation”.
He added that, “Now we must move from strategy to implementation. The business sector is waiting, Ghanaian investors are waiting, foreign investors are waiting”.
“They want to see the package of incentives that we can afford, so that they can invest more and expand productivity and also create more employment for our young people, and so it’s my pleasure to assent to this Bill today.”
On Friday, February 6, the House gave the nod after extensive deliberations and debate between the Majority and Minority caucuses.
During the debate, members of the Minority caucus cautioned that if not carefully implemented, the policy could pose security challenges and cause inconvenience to Ghanaians.
In response, the Majority caucus argued that the government has put in place adequate regulatory measures to ensure the smooth and effective implementation of the policy.
The Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) adds to the majority who are pessimistic about the success of the government’s 24-hour economy policy.
AGI has pointed to the increases in utility tariffs. Speaking to Citi News, Greater Accra Regional Chairman of AGI, Tsonam Akpeloo, said businesses that will participate in the programme will run at a loss as they will consume much electricity.
According to him, “If you’re talking about a 24-hour economy, you’re asking industry to work beyond the usual eight hours and continue through the night. That means higher electricity consumption. The cost of power will increase—possibly doubling what we’ve previously paid.”
“A 2.5% increase under normal production is one thing, but with extended hours, the actual cost impact will be far greater,” he added.
About the 24-hour economy
The government’s 24-hour economy policy, a key promise during President John Mahama’s campaign in 2024, was launched today, Wednesday, July 2, 2025.
The policy’s objective is to enhance economic productivity by encouraging businesses to operate continuously, creating more job opportunities, boosting revenue generation, and improving service delivery.
Sectors such as manufacturing, transportation, retail, healthcare, hospitality, and financial services stand to benefit significantly from this model.
Presenting the policy to the Speaker of Parliament, Kingsford Sumana Alban Bagbin, last year, July, Mr Goosie Tanoh, the Presidential Advisor on the 24-hour economy policy, mentioned the move is to officially inform ‘the people’s representatives’ about the government’s readiness to roll out the programme.
On some details on the policy, Mr Goosie Tanoh said the programme is expanded into three anchors: “production transformation, supply chain and market efficiency, and human capital development.” The three anchors, according to him, are supported by eight sub-programmes.
“Roll 24 – which is the agricultural component, Make 24 – which is the manufacturing component, Connect 24 – the supply chain component, Aspire 24 – which is the mindset change, the resetting of the Ghanaian and Ghanaian bureaucracy with a strong and powerful attitude to work and productivity,” he explained.
According to him, the government was set to include strong digital technology training in the TVET curriculum to train and equip an employable workforce with the requisite skills for employment opportunities.
Another component, dubbed ‘Show Ghana,’ is also set to focus on an intentional effort and approach by the government to give visibility to Ghana’s rich cultural heritage to the rest of the world, to attract more tourists and increase revenue generation through tourism.
Speaker Alban Bagbin, in response, mentioned that the team’s arrival had been anticipated and his outfit would call on them for any clarity when the need be, urging the legislation to back the programme.
Earlier, President John Dramani Mahama stated that the 24-Hour Economy Policy is a long-term goal that will keep the country productive on a 24/7 basis, alongside stabilising the economy through the creation of more jobs.
According to him, the final draft of the policy has undergone review by him, and he is confident it will realise its objectives.
Meanwhile, Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, noted that the Parliamentary Service will begin operating under the 24-hour economy policy.
This initiative, according to the Speaker, will enhance national productivity and address unemployment. He made this known during the presentation of the 24-hour economy policy document.
He bemoaned the lack of time to tackle the numerous tasks in Parliament and expressed optimism in addressing this issue with the 24-hour economy policy.
“This means they are going to work more hours; they will be reporting at 8:00 a.m. and may be going home at 10:00 p.m. or sometimes 11:00 p.m., particularly those in the official division of the House.
This will allow more people to work here and will help reduce unemployment. I can assure you that the load of work here is unimaginable,” Bagbin stated.
A suit was filed on Monday, February 16, by the pressure group, Democracy Hub, challenging the Ayawaso East by-election. The group alleges vote-buying during the National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary primaries held on February 7, 2026.
Democracy Hub has prayed the High Court to direct the Electoral Commission (EC) to conduct a fresh primary in accordance with democratic principles.
In the suit, the NDC is cited as the first defendant, the Electoral Commission as the second, and the Attorney-General as the third.
The suit further added, “An order of mandamus directed at the 2nd Defendant to refuse to accept or act upon the nomination of the said candidate unless and until a primary conducted in accordance with democratic principles is held.”
“A declaration that the parliamentary primary conducted by the 1st Defendant for the Ayawaso East Constituency, having been found to have been characterised by widespread vote buying, inducement and monetisation, did not conform to the democratic principles required under Article 55(5) of the Constitution, and that the continued reliance on the outcome thereof and the presentation of a candidate founded on that process constitute actions contrary to and inconsistent with the Constitution in violation of section 9 of the Political Parties Act, 2000 (Act 574).”
This development comes at a time when the EC has scheduled the Ayawaso East by-election for March 3, 2026. The by-election has attracted heightened attention in recent days amid internal developments within the NDC, including allegations of vote buying during its parliamentary primary.
Mr Baba Jamal Mohammed Ahmed won the Ayawaso East Constituency primary and is set to represent the NDC as its parliamentary candidate in the March 3 by-election, following the party’s internal primary held on February 7, 2026.
After the close of polls, provisional results showed that Baba Jamal polled 431 votes out of the total votes cast, followed by the widow of the late Ayawaso MP, Naser Toure Hajia Amina Adam who secured 399 votes. Mr Mohammed Ramne, the Ayawaso East NDC Constituency Chairman, placed third with 88 votes.
Dr Yakubu Azindow obtained 45 votes, while Mr Najib Mohammed Sani recorded one vote. The closely contested primary attracted more than 1,100 accredited delegates from across the constituency, reflecting the high stakes involved in selecting a candidate for the by-election in a seat widely regarded as a stronghold of the governing NDC.
Five aspirants contested the race: Hajia Amina Adam, Mr Baba Jamal, Dr Yakubu Azindow who had previously contested the late MP in the 2023 primary, Mr Mohammed Ramne, and Mr Mohammed Sani.
Although the race was initially considered open, it later narrowed into a tight contest among Mr Jamal, Hajia Amina Adam and Dr Azindow.
Even though the election was peaceful on Saturday, reports of vote buying emerged on the eve of the election and on election day, involving some candidates, including Baba Jamal, who at the time was Ghana’s High Commissioner to Nigeria and allegedly offered television sets and other items to delegates.
Videos circulating on social media showed some delegates leaving polling centres carrying television sets and other items.
Reacting to the vote-buying allegations, the NDC, in a statement signed by its Secretary, Fiifi Kwetey, announced that it would investigate the allegations. It noted that a three-member committee had been set up to probe the matter.
In a statement issued on the same day, the NDC said its national executives had taken note of what it described as widespread incidents of inducement and vote buying allegedly perpetrated by some aspirants.
The party condemned the acts, describing them as an affront to its values and principles, and announced that it had launched investigations into the matter.
“In line with the Party’s commitment to internal democracy, transparency, and ethical political conduct, the Committee will investigate the allegations and make appropriate recommendations, including sanctions where necessary,” the statement said.
The Presidency has announced the recall of Ghana’s High Commissioner to Nigeria, Baba Jamal, over voter inducement during the just-ended Ayawaso East primaries held on Saturday, February 7.
In a statement titled “President recalls Ghana’s High Commissioner to Nigeria,” shared by the Spokesperson to the President, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, and dated February 7, it noted that “President John Dramani Mahama has directed the immediate recall of Mohammed Baba Jamal Ahmed (Baba Jamal) from his position as Ghana’s High Commissioner to the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The decision follows allegations of voter inducement during today’s National Democratic Congress (NDC) primaries in the Ayawaso East Constituency, in which Mr Baba Jamal, a candidate, participated.”
The President stressed that reports of vote buying were made against several candidates seeking to win the Ayawaso East seat, but Baba Jamal stood out because he was the only serving public officer at the time, making his case a peculiar one.
“In his directive to the Minister for Foreign Affairs recalling Mr Baba Jamal as High Commissioner, the President noted that while allegations of vote-buying were made against multiple candidates who contested the primaries, Baba Jamal was the only serving public officer among them.”
Consequently, to protect the integrity of public office and to avoid any public suspicion of misconduct or violation of the Government’s Code of Conduct for Political Appointees, the President stated:
“Without prejudice to the ongoing internal party processes, and strictly in view of the standards of conduct expected of public officers, the President considers it necessary to act decisively to preserve the integrity of public office and to avoid any perception of impropriety or conflict with the Government’s Code of Conduct for Political Appointees.”
The statement continued that “the recall takes effect immediately, and the Minister for Foreign Affairs has been directed to take the necessary administrative and diplomatic steps to give effect to this directive.”
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary candidate, Baba Jamal, has picked the number one slot on the ballot paper for the upcoming Ayawaso East by-election.
The balloting was conducted at the constituency’s Electoral Commission office in Accra on Thursday, February 12 Baba Jamal’s opponent Yussif Baba Ali of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) picked the third position, the Liberal People’s Party (LPP) candidate, Ibrahim Iddrisu, secured number two, the independent candidates Alhaji Mohammed Umaru Sanda and David Kannor selected positions four and five, respectively.
On Wednesday, February 11, Baba Jamal officially submitted his nomination forms and supporting documents to join the by-election. The by-election which is slated for Tuesday March 3, follows the death of the constituency’s Member of Parliament, Naser Toure Mahama, leaving the seat unrepresented.
The Ayawaso East by-election has attracted heightened attention in recent days amid internal developments within the National Democratic Congress (NDC), including allegations of vote-buying during its parliamentary primary.
Mr Baba Jamal Mohammed Ahmed won the Ayawaso East Constituency primary and is set to represent the National Democratic Congress (NDC) as its parliamentary candidate ahead of the March 3 by-election, following the party’s internal primary held on February 7, 2026.
After the close of polls, the provisional results showed that Baba Jamal pulled 431 of the total votes cast, followed by the widow (Hajia Amina Adam) of the late Ayawaso MP, Naser Toure, who also won 399 votes. Mr Mohammed Ramne, the Ayawaso East NDC Constituency Chairman, placed third with 88 votes.
Dr Yakubu Azindow obtained 45 votes, while Mr Najib Mohammed Sani recorded one vote. The closely contested primary attracted more than 1,100 accredited delegates from across the constituency, reflecting the high stakes involved in selecting a candidate for the by-election in a seat widely regarded as a stronghold of the governing NDC.
Five aspirants contested the race. They were Hajia Amina Adam, Mr Baba Jamal, Dr Yakubu Azindow, who had previously contested the late MP in the 2023 primary, Mr Mohammed Ramne and Mr Mohammed Sani.
Although the race was initially considered open, it later narrowed into a tight contest among Mr Jamal, Hajia Amina Adam and Dr Azindow.
Even though the election was peaceful on Saturday, reports of vote-buying emerged on the eve of the election and on election day, involving some candidates, including Baba Jamal, who, at the time, was Ghana’s High Commissioner to Nigeria and allegedly offered television sets and other items to delegates.
Videos circulating on social media showed some delegates leaving polling centres carrying television sets and other items.Reacting to the vote-buying allegations, the NDC, in a statement signed by its Secretary, Fiifi Kwetey, announced that it will investigate the allegations. It noted that it has set up a three-member committee to probe the allegations.
In a statement issued on the same day, the NDC said its national executives had taken note of what it described as widespread incidents of inducement and vote buying allegedly perpetrated by some aspirants.
The party condemned the acts, describing them as an affront to its values and principles, and announced that it had launched investigations into the matter.
“In line with the Party’s commitment to internal democracy, transparency, and ethical political conduct, the Committee will investigate the allegations and make appropriate recommendations, including sanctions where necessary,” the statement said.
The Presidency has announced a recall of Ghana’s High Commissioner to Nigeria, Baba Jamal, over voter inducement during the just-ended Ayawaso East primaries on Saturday, February 7.
In a statement titled “President recalls Ghana’s High Commissioner to Nigeria and shared by Spokesperson to the President, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, dated February 7, it noted that“President John Dramani Mahama has directed the immediate recall of Mohammed Baba Jamal Ahmed (Baba Jamal) from his position as Ghana’s High Commissioner to the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The decision follows allegations of voter inducement during today’s National Democratic Congress (NDC) primaries in the Ayawaso East Constituency, in which Mr Baba Jamal, a candidate, participated.”
The President stressed that reports of vote-buying were made against several candidates seeking to win the Ayawaso seats, but Baba Jamal stood out because he was the only person who was a serving public officer at the time, making his case a peculiar one.
“In his directive to the Minister for Foreign Affairs recalling Mr Baba Jamal as High Commissioner, the President noted that while allegations of vote-buying were made against multiple candidates who contested the primaries, Baba Jamal was the only serving public officer among them.”
Consequently, to protect the integrity of public office and to avoid any public suspicion of misconduct or violation of the Government’s Code of Conduct for Political Appointees, the President,
“Without prejudice to the ongoing internal party processes, and strictly in view of the standards of conduct expected of public officers, the President considers it necessary to act decisively to preserve the integrity of public office and to avoid any perception of impropriety or conflict with the Government’s Code of Conduct for Political Appointees.”
The statement continued that, “the recall takes effect immediately, and the Minister for Foreign Affairs has been directed to take the necessary administrative and diplomatic steps to give effect to this directive.”
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary candidate for Ayawaso East, Mohammed Baba Jamal Ahmed, has officially submitted his nomination forms and supporting documents to join the by-election. In the upcoming election, Baba Jamal will compete against the New Patriotic Party’s candidate, Baba Ali.
The by-election which is slated for Tuesday March 3, follows the death of the constituency’s Member of Parliament, Naser Toure Mahama, leaving the seat unrepresented.
The Ayawaso East by-election has attracted heightened attention in recent days amid internal developments within the National Democratic Congress (NDC), including allegations of vote-buying during its parliamentary primary.
Mr Baba Jamal Mohammed Ahmed won the Ayawaso East Constituency primary and is set to represent the National Democratic Congress (NDC) as its parliamentary candidate ahead of the March 3 by-election, following the party’s internal primary held on February 7, 2026.
After the close of polls, the provisional results showed that Baba Jamal pulled 431 of the total votes cast, followed by the widow (Hajia Amina Adam) of the late Ayawaso MP, Naser Toure, who also won 399 votes. Mr Mohammed Ramne, the Ayawaso East NDC Constituency Chairman, placed third with 88 votes.
Dr Yakubu Azindow obtained 45 votes, while Mr Najib Mohammed Sani recorded one vote. The closely contested primary attracted more than 1,100 accredited delegates from across the constituency, reflecting the high stakes involved in selecting a candidate for the by-election in a seat widely regarded as a stronghold of the governing NDC.
Five aspirants contested the race. They were Hajia Amina Adam, Mr Baba Jamal, Dr Yakubu Azindow, who had previously contested the late MP in the 2023 primary, Mr Mohammed Ramne and Mr Mohammed Sani.
Although the race was initially considered open, it later narrowed into a tight contest among Mr Jamal, Hajia Amina Adam and Dr Azindow.
Even though the election was peaceful on Saturday, reports of vote-buying emerged on the eve of the election and on election day, involving some candidates, including Baba Jamal, who, at the time, was Ghana’s High Commissioner to Nigeria and allegedly offered television sets and other items to delegates.
Videos circulating on social media showed some delegates leaving polling centres carrying television sets and other items.Reacting to the vote-buying allegations, the NDC, in a statement signed by its Secretary, Fiifi Kwetey, announced that it will investigate the allegations. It noted that it has set up a three-member committee to probe the allegations.
In a statement issued on the same day, the NDC said its national executives had taken note of what it described as widespread incidents of inducement and vote buying allegedly perpetrated by some aspirants.
The party condemned the acts, describing them as an affront to its values and principles, and announced that it had launched investigations into the matter.
“In line with the Party’s commitment to internal democracy, transparency, and ethical political conduct, the Committee will investigate the allegations and make appropriate recommendations, including sanctions where necessary,” the statement said.
The Presidency has announced a recall of Ghana’s High Commissioner to Nigeria, Baba Jamal, over voter inducement during the just-ended Ayawaso East primaries on Saturday, February 7.
In a statement titled “President recalls Ghana’s High Commissioner to Nigeria and shared by Spokesperson to the President, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, dated February 7, it noted that“President John Dramani Mahama has directed the immediate recall of Mohammed Baba Jamal Ahmed (Baba Jamal) from his position as Ghana’s High Commissioner to the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The decision follows allegations of voter inducement during today’s National Democratic Congress (NDC) primaries in the Ayawaso East Constituency, in which Mr Baba Jamal, a candidate, participated.”
The President stressed that reports of vote-buying were made against several candidates seeking to win the Ayawaso seats, but Baba Jamal stood out because he was the only person who was a serving public officer at the time, making his case a peculiar one.
“In his directive to the Minister for Foreign Affairs recalling Mr Baba Jamal as High Commissioner, the President noted that while allegations of vote-buying were made against multiple candidates who contested the primaries, Baba Jamal was the only serving public officer among them.”
Consequently, to protect the integrity of public office and to avoid any public suspicion of misconduct or violation of the Government’s Code of Conduct for Political Appointees, the President,
“Without prejudice to the ongoing internal party processes, and strictly in view of the standards of conduct expected of public officers, the President considers it necessary to act decisively to preserve the integrity of public office and to avoid any perception of impropriety or conflict with the Government’s Code of Conduct for Political Appointees.”
The statement continued that, “the recall takes effect immediately, and the Minister for Foreign Affairs has been directed to take the necessary administrative and diplomatic steps to give effect to this directive.”
The committee set up by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to probe the alleged vote buying during the Ayawaso East parliamentary primary on Saturday, February 7, 2026 by its candidate, Baba Jamal, has concluded investigations into the matter.
In view of this, a report from the investigation will be made public today, Tuesday, February 10.
Reports suggest that Baba Jamal distributed television sets, money, and other items to delegates in an attempt to influence their votes. But Baba Jamal has emphasized that he didn’t induce delegates during the election.
Responding to the claims, the Presidency announced a recall of Ghana’s High Commissioner to Nigeria, Baba Jamal.
In a statement titled “President recalls Ghana’s High Commissioner to Nigeria and shared by Spokesperson to the President, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, dated February 7, it noted that
“President John Dramani Mahama has directed the immediate recall of Mohammed Baba Jamal Ahmed (Baba Jamal) from his position as Ghana’s High Commissioner to the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The decision follows allegations of voter inducement during today’s National Democratic Congress (NDC) primaries in the Ayawaso East Constituency, in which Mr Baba Jamal, a candidate, participated.”
The President stressed that reports of vote-buying were made against several candidates seeking to win the Ayawaso seats, but Baba Jamal stood out because he was the only person who was a serving public officer at the time, making his case a peculiar one.
“In his directive to the Minister for Foreign Affairs recalling Mr Baba Jamal as High Commissioner, the President noted that while allegations of vote-buying were made against multiple candidates who contested the primaries, Baba Jamal was the only serving public officer among them.”
Consequently, to protect the integrity of public office and to avoid any public suspicion of misconduct or violation of the Government’s Code of Conduct for Political Appointees, the President,
“Without prejudice to the ongoing internal party processes, and strictly in view of the standards of conduct expected of public officers, the President considers it necessary to act decisively to preserve the integrity of public office and to avoid any perception of impropriety or conflict with the Government’s Code of Conduct for Political Appointees.”
The statement continued that, “the recall takes effect immediately, and the Minister for Foreign Affairs has been directed to take the necessary administrative and diplomatic steps to give effect to this directive.”
Meanwhile, Baba Jamal won the party’s internal primary held ahead of the by-election scheduled for March 3.
After the close of polls, the provisional results showed that Baba Jamal pulled 431 of the total votes cast, followed by the widow (Hajia Amina Adam) of the late Ayawaso MP, Naser Toure, who also won 399 votes. Mr Mohammed Ramne, the Ayawaso East NDC Constituency Chairman, placed third with 88 votes.
Dr Yakubu Azindow obtained 45 votes, while Mr Najib Mohammed Sani recorded one vote.
Ahead of the elections, a survey conducted by the research and data analytics company Global InfoAnalytics predicted that 58% of members of the ruling NDC support the widow of the late Mahama Naser Toure, former Member of Parliament (MP) for Ayawaso East Constituency.
This was announced by the Executive Director of the research company, Mussa Dankwah, in Accra on Thursday, February 5.According to the poll, the widow, Hajia Amina Adam, is the frontrunner among the others in the ongoing Ayawaso East Parliamentary Primary.
The polling data show that 66% of party members disagree with the claim that she should be barred from contesting. The numbers suggest that narratives questioning her eligibility are failing to gain traction within the party.
The poll also revealed that the public’s empathy towards her may boost her campaign and influence her chances of winning. About 43% of general voters indicated they would support Hajia Amina Adam because of the way she has been treated during the contest, while 15% of delegates cited the same factor as influencing their vote.
The analysis basically presents Hajia Adam as securing roughly 54% of the total votes, while Mohammed Baba Jamal, Ghana’s High Commissioner to Nigeria and her main rival, could reach a maximum of 38%.
He noted a 3.2% margin of error in the prediction, which still preserves her lead.
“We asked NDC members in our polls whether it was wrong for Hajia to contest, and 66% of NDC voters disagreed. This means they do not think she should be prevented from contesting. When we asked the delegates, 58% of them also disagreed.
“So both the delegates and the party faithful disagree with that call, which suggests that some people are pushing a narrative that is not selling, yet they keep promoting it,” he said.Meanwhile, the filing closed with the wife of the late MP being the last to pick up the forms.
He said, “At the close of nominations today, six persons picked nomination forms to contest the upcoming primaries. The wife of the late MP was the last person to pick nominations today. It is going to be a very interesting contest.”
Explaining her decision in a statement issued on Thursday, January 22, Hajia Adam indicated that she is heeding calls from constituents, party grassroots members, and traditional elders, adding that these individuals want her to carry on the work of her late husband.
“There has been a clarion call from many quarters in my constituency and beyond for me to step into the shoes of my late husband. After deep reflection and consultations, particularly with elders and grassroots members, I have accepted the call to serve my people,” she stated.
According to her, after reflecting on the calls, she has decided to heed them, emphasising, “I want to assure them that I will not disappoint them.”
Five new ambassadors have been sworn in by President John Dramani Mahama today, Monday, February 9, to represent Ghana abroad. During the swearing-in ceremony, the new ambassadors were charged by President Mahama to prioritise economic diplomacy as part of efforts to attract foreign investment.
“As heads of mission you are required to reflect this national reset agenda by moving from passive representaion to purposeful engagement from routine reporting to proactive problem solving and from presence to impact. Your mission plans must be firmly aligned with Ghana’s development prorities,” he urged.
The recently sworn-in include: Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Alhaji Said Saleh Sinare, Ambassador to the Republic of Mali, Lt. Col. Al Hajj Umar Sanda Ahmed, Mr Kofi Attor Ambassador to the Republic of Cuba, Mr Emmanuel Opeku Ambassador-in-Situ, and High Commissioner to the Republic of Malta, Mrs. Regina Appiah-Sam.
On Thursday, September 4, 2025, fifteen (15) of appointees Ghana’s appointed envoys were sworn-in. They are: Benjamin A. Quashie will oversee the operations of Ghana’s diplomatic mission in the Republic of South Africa, while Kojo Bonsu takes charge of the People’s Republic of China. Kulsoume Sinare Baffoe will head affairs in the Kingdom of Spain.
Hammed Rashid Tunde Ali will the United Arab Emirates, Hon. Captain George Kofi Nfojoh in the Togolese Republic, and Grace El Mahmoud Marabe in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Prof. Ohene Adjei will head the mission in the Federal Republic of Germany, Abdul Nasiru-Deen in the Republic of Turkey.
Theresah Adjei-Mensah in the Czech Republic, and Prof. Kwasi Obiri-Danso in India. Dora Francisca Edu-Buandoh, Ph.D., will serve in Canada, Dr. Margaret Miewien Chebere in Denmark, Labik Joseph Yaani in Equatorial Guinea, Nii Amasah Namoale in the Federative Republic of Brazil, and Dr. Felix Kumah Godwin Anebo in the Republic of Senegal.
.The twenty-three individuals are expected to promote Ghana’s foreign policy and protect the welfare of Ghanaians overseas. Speaking at the induction ceremony for the 15 distinguished individuals, President Mahama noted that their “appointment is a mark of the confidence reposed in you and a recognition of your years of dedicated service, sterling achievement, and exemplary contributions both in the public and private sectors”.
He urged the envoys to uphold transparency in carrying out their duties. Additionally, the President disclosed that taxpayers would no longer bear the cost of expensive properties rented by diplomatic missions abroad.
According to him, the country cannot bear the cost of more than $15 million every year on renting properties for diplomatic missions.
He called the practice wasteful and one that can no longer be tolerated under the ruling National Democratic Congress’ (NDC) Reset Agenda.
The President added that the Cabinet has given the nod to the government’s new initiative, Strategic Transition from Rental to Developing (STRIDE).
The STRIDE policy is to reduce unnecessary losses the country absorbs on renting properties abroad for its diplomatic missions, hence, ensuring Ghana’s foreign missions are accommodated in state-owned properties.
“From my latest briefing, a transaction advisor has been appointed, standard developments are being prepared, and funding mechanisms are already being negotiated.This shift will ensure that our missions abroad are housed in proper homes owned by the republic, reducing wasteful expenditure while safeguarding Ghana’s dignity on the international stage.
“Ghana cannot continue spending more than $15 million every year on renting properties abroad for our diplomatic use. This is not a judicious use of taxpayers’ resources, and the Reset Agenda is an immediate reversal of this trend,” he stated.
On Monday, September 1, Ghana’s historic five hundred (500) Key Performance Indicators (KPI) for heads of missions was launched by President John Dramani Mahama.
The initiative is to provide heads of mission with a clear framework for assessing their work and supporting the President’s Reset Vision for the country.
Delivering his keynote address, President Mahama stated that Ghana’s mission had advanced into paths of economic engagement, facilitating trade, attracting investment, and promoting innovation.
Thus, he charged the heads of missions to promote investments in Ghana’s priority sectors, industrialization, renewable energy, digital services, agro-processing, infrastructure and tourism.
“I charge you to expand our export markets, especially for value-added goods such as processed food, shea butter, textiles, crafts, and digital services. I charge you to move the life of our diaspora not only as remittance of money, but also as investors, innovators, and partners in Ghana’s development,” he said.
The 500 KPIs cover areas such as securing scholarships and promoting exchange programmes with foreign institutions to build human capacity as well as increasing tourist arrivals by a least 10 per cent each year to create jobs and strengthen foreign reserves.
They also require strict compliance with financial and procurement rules, enhancing national security through stronger intelligence sharing and partnerships with foreign agencies, navigating Permanent Joint Commissions for Cooperation (PJCC) with major partners, and shifting from renting office spaces to building permanent infrastructure to cut down rent costs.
He stressed that the performance of the heads of missions will be judged not by ceremonial protocols, but by the level of investment, trade, and opportunities they can attract for the country.
President Mahama explained that the Government’s Reset Agenda also focuses on governance, particularly restoring public trust through transparency and accountability.
He added that as Ghana’s envoys abroad, the heads of mission are expected to reflect these principles, managing the nation’s missions with integrity, efficiency, and professionalism.
“Our citizens abroad must experience fairness and respect, for our diplomacy’s credibility is inseparable from the credibility of our governments,” he added.
Mohammed Baba Jamal Ahmed, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary candidate for Ayawaso East, has emphasised that he didn’t induce delegates during the NDC primary held on Saturday, February 7.
In a press release, Baba Jamal said he is willing to cooperate with the party’s investigations into the matter.
He added, “I wish to state categorically that I, Baba Jamal Mohammed Ahmed, have not engaged in any vote buying or election malpractices and I pledge to avail myself to assist the party in its investigation into the subject matter anytime”.
Meanwhile, the Minority in Parliament is calling for a rerun of the election following the allegations.
On Saturday, February 7, the Presidency announced a recall of Ghana’s High Commissioner to Nigeria, Baba Jamal, over voter inducement during the just-ended Ayawaso East primaries.
In a statement titled “President recalls Ghana’s High Commissioner to Nigeria and shared by Spokesperson to the President, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, dated February 7, it noted that
“President John Dramani Mahama has directed the immediate recall of Mohammed Baba Jamal Ahmed (Baba Jamal) from his position as Ghana’s High Commissioner to the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The decision follows allegations of voter inducement during today’s National Democratic Congress (NDC) primaries in the Ayawaso East Constituency, in which Mr Baba Jamal, a candidate, participated.”
The President stressed that reports of vote-buying were made against several candidates seeking to win the Ayawaso seats, but Baba Jamal stood out because he was the only person who was a serving public officer at the time, making his case a peculiar one.
“In his directive to the Minister for Foreign Affairs recalling Mr Baba Jamal as High Commissioner, the President noted that while allegations of vote-buying were made against multiple candidates who contested the primaries, Baba Jamal was the only serving public officer among them.”
Consequently, to protect the integrity of public office and to avoid any public suspicion of misconduct or violation of the Government’s Code of Conduct for Political Appointees, the President,
“Without prejudice to the ongoing internal party processes, and strictly in view of the standards of conduct expected of public officers, the President considers it necessary to act decisively to preserve the integrity of public office and to avoid any perception of impropriety or conflict with the Government’s Code of Conduct for Political Appointees.”
The statement continued that, “the recall takes effect immediately, and the Minister for Foreign Affairs has been directed to take the necessary administrative and diplomatic steps to give effect to this directive.”
Meanwhile, Baba Jamal won the party’s internal primary held ahead of the by-election scheduled for March 3.
After the close of polls, the provisional results showed that Baba Jamal pulled 431 of the total votes cast, followed by the widow (Hajia Amina Adam) of the late Ayawaso MP, Naser Toure, who also won 399 votes. Mr Mohammed Ramne, the Ayawaso East NDC Constituency Chairman, placed third with 88 votes.
Dr Yakubu Azindow obtained 45 votes, while Mr Najib Mohammed Sani recorded one vote.
Ahead of the elections, a survey conducted by the research and data analytics company Global InfoAnalytics predicted that 58% of members of the ruling NDC support the widow of the late Mahama Naser Toure, former Member of Parliament (MP) for Ayawaso East Constituency.
This was announced by the Executive Director of the research company, Mussa Dankwah, in Accra on Thursday, February 5. According to the poll, the widow, Hajia Amina Adam, is the frontrunner among the others in the ongoing Ayawaso East Parliamentary Primary.
The polling data show that 66% of party members disagree with the claim that she should be barred from contesting. The numbers suggest that narratives questioning her eligibility are failing to gain traction within the party.
The poll also revealed that the public’s empathy towards her may boost her campaign and influence her chances of winning. About 43% of general voters indicated they would support Hajia Amina Adam because of the way she has been treated during the contest, while 15% of delegates cited the same factor as influencing their vote.
The analysis basically presents Hajia Adam as securing roughly 54% of the total votes, while Mohammed Baba Jamal, Ghana’s High Commissioner to Nigeria and her main rival, could reach a maximum of 38%.
He noted a 3.2% margin of error in the prediction, which still preserves her lead.
“We asked NDC members in our polls whether it was wrong for Hajia to contest, and 66% of NDC voters disagreed. This means they do not think she should be prevented from contesting. When we asked the delegates, 58% of them also disagreed.
“So both the delegates and the party faithful disagree with that call, which suggests that some people are pushing a narrative that is not selling, yet they keep promoting it,” he said. Meanwhile, the filing closed with the wife of the late MP being the last to pick up the forms.
He said, “At the close of nominations today, six persons picked nomination forms to contest the upcoming primaries. The wife of the late MP was the last person to pick nominations today. It is going to be a very interesting contest.”
Explaining her decision in a statement issued on Thursday, January 22, Hajia Adam indicated that she is heeding calls from constituents, party grassroots members, and traditional elders, adding that these individuals want her to carry on the work of her late husband.
“There has been a clarion call from many quarters in my constituency and beyond for me to step into the shoes of my late husband. After deep reflection and consultations, particularly with elders and grassroots members, I have accepted the call to serve my people,” she stated.
According to her, after reflecting on the calls, she has decided to heed them, emphasising, “I want to assure them that I will not disappoint them.”
The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission has announced a freeze on the accreditation of new programmes in General Nursing at both diploma and bachelor’s degree levels.
The tertiary regulator revealed this in a statement on Thursday, Feb 6, explaining that the move is aimed at aligning training with national health-sector needs before allowing more institutions to add programmes.
“The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission, acting in accordance with its regulatory and accreditation mandates under the Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020 (Act 1023), and guided by national human resource development priorities, hereby announces a suspension of the accreditation of new General Nursing programmes at both diploma and bachelor’s degree levels,” parts of the statement read.
The Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020 (Act 1023), is the law that restructured Ghana’s education regulatory framework. It merged the National Council for Tertiary Education (NCTE) and the National Accreditation Board (NAB) into the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) and also established the Commission for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (CTVET). Its purpose is to regulate, coordinate, and ensure quality in tertiary and technical education.
It continued that, “Accordingly, all tertiary education institutions are hereby notified that GTEC will not receive, process, or consider any new application for General Nursing (diploma or bachelor’s degree) programmes until further notice.”
The statement, addressed to heads of tertiary education institutions, was copied to the Minister of Education, the Minister of Health, the Registrar, Nursing and Midwifery Council, the Director of Accreditation, GTEC, Heads of traditional public universities, GTEC, Heads of technical universities and colleges, GTEC, and the Head of Compliance, GTEC.
However, GTEC, in the statement, indicated that institutions seeking to expand their health-related programme offerings should explore and develop proposals in specialised and undersubscribed areas of nursing.
According to the tertiary education regulator, there are not enough students training in certain important nursing fields, such as Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, Anaesthesia Nursing, Critical Care and Emergency Nursing, Paediatric Nursing, Oncology Nursing, Geriatric Nursing, and Nephrology Nursing, among others; hence, more attention should be given to training people in those areas.
“These specialised fields align with national workforce gaps and are therefore more likely to receive favourable regulatory consideration,” the statement added.
Meanwhile, in October last year, a list of 50 tertiary institutions was made public by the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) for operating against approved standards. The Commission’s Director-General, Prof. Ahmed Jinapor Abdulai, through a statement dated October 20, cautioned the public against engaging with these institutions.
“The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) wishes to formally notify all Heads of Tertiary Institutions that the institutions listed below are currently not recognised by the Commission due to various accreditation and quality assurance breaches. Treat this caution with the seriousness it deserves,” part of the statement read.
Among the institutions are University Azteca, Mexico; Indian School of Management and Studies, India; Breyer State Theology University, USA; Debest College of Science, Arts and Business, Ghana; Osiri University, USA; Atlantic International University, USA; Faith University Seminary (FUS), Ghana; Christian University College, Monrovia, Liberia; Rhema Bible Training College (RBTC), USA; Universidad Empresarial de Costa Rica, Costa Rica; and Selinus University of Science and Literature, Italy.
In September, the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission closed down some 149 institutions running open distance learning across the country without accreditation. According to the Director-General of GTEC, Professor Ahmed Abdulai Jinapor, the centres of such institutions are “unfit for purpose.”
At a two-day workshop in Accra last week on implementing Ghana’s Open and Distance Learning (ODL) policy for quality assurance and tertiary education stakeholders, he noted that the operations of several institutions fall short of being recognised as legitimate distance learning.
“Unfortunately, distance education seems to be replaced with distancing education. Distancing education, manifesting in institutions moving across this country to replicate what is happening in traditional classrooms, cannot be deemed as distance education.”
“In fact, as we speak, the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission has flagged some 149 distance learning centres that we think are not fit for purpose. These centres are found in second-cycle institutions, institutions that are overstretched as a result of the double track. We have centres being organised in churches, public services, public works departments, and electricity companies. In fact, we cannot allow this to happen,” he stated.
He further emphasised that distance learning is not merely an alternative to conventional education but a central pillar for expanding access, promoting equity, and fostering innovation in tertiary education. Consequently, the Commission gave institutions a grace period to follow the proper procedures and secure authorisation to run these programmes in approved facilities.
“As a commission, we’ve issued a moratorium to all these institutions to teach our students in these centres and to seek accreditation for facilities that are fit for purpose. Today, we are launching this particular policy involving quality assurance.”
“What we’ve realised as a commission is that quality assurance in most of these institutions becomes overly transactional. Institutions do what they are supposed to do to please us, and once we leave, then it’s business as usual. We cannot allow that,” he noted.
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Kpandai, Matthew Nyindam, has disclosed that his relationship with his opponent, Daniel Nsala Wakpal, has remained strictly professional over the past five years, though he holds no grudges against him.
During an exclusive interview on JoyNews’ AM Show, Mr Nyindam explained that their formal relationship is due to his opponent’s aggressive nature.
According to him, they have maintained a professional distance due to their opposing party affiliations, although they both hail from the Kpandai area.
“The kind of politics he does and has brought to Kpandai is different. He’s given everybody a hell in Kpandai. Not me alone. Even within the NDC, he has caused a lot of problems. The NDC parliamentary candidate, have you had a conversation with him? No. For five years now, I’ve never spoken to him. Throughout the campaign and throughout this battle, I’ve not said a word to him. We are all coming from Kpandai. We are brothers. That’s how I see him but we don’t have that kind of friendship. His chairman, his secretary, and other party executives, we are good,” he added.
Matthew Nyindam and Daniel Nsala Wakpal, who is affiliated with the National Democratic Congress (NDC), contested for the 2024 Kpandai Parliamentary seat in 2024. Matthew Nyindam was declared the winner after the contest but Daniel Nsala Wakpal submitted a petition to the Tamale High Court challenging the results of the 2024 parliamentary election in the constituency months after the election.
According to him, the Kpandai parliamentary election was marred by irregularities in the voting and collation processes. He argued that Pink Sheets from many polling stations were not accurate or consistent.
He stated: “The parliamentary election held in the Kpandai constituency on 7th December 2024 was not conducted in compliance with Regulations 39 of the Public Elections Regulations, 2020 (CI 127) and the principles laid down by Regulations 39, and that the said non-compliance affected the results of the elections.
“The declaration and publication of the parliamentary election results held in the Kpandai constituency on 7th December 2024 were not made in compliance with Regulations 43 of the Public Elections Regulations, 2020 (C.I 127) and the principles laid down by Regulations 43, and that the said non-compliance affected the entire results of the parliamentary elections in the Kpandai constituency.”
However, Mathew Nyindam argued that “The Parliamentary Election Petition filed by the 1st Interested Party on 25th January 2025, in respect of the Parliamentary Election held at the Kpandai Constituency on 7th December 2024, was invalid and could not have properly invoked the jurisdiction of the High Court, Commercial Division, Tamale.”
In response to the petition, the Tamale High Court declared the Kpandai parliamentary election conducted in 2024 invalid on Monday, November 24. As a result, His Lordship Emmanuel Brew Plange directed the Electoral Commission (EC) to conduct a new poll in the constituency within 30 days.
But, the Supreme Court on Tuesday, December 16, ordered that the parliamentary rerun election in the area, which was scheduled for Tuesday, December 30, be suspended until further notice. Defending its decision, the Supreme Court noted the High Court’s ruling was contrary to the law that guides how parliamentary election petitions should be handled.
Despite the High Court directing a re-run of the election, Matthew Nyindam insisted that he and his team did not engage in any wrongdoing and are prepared to face the re-run.
Speaking to the media on Tuesday, December 9, he noted, “I am so fine because I am not troubled. We’ve not cheated in this particular election. What I’ve realised is that there is a government that is so strong, and whatever they want to do, they will want to do it. They don’t care whether you are right or you are wrong.”
The legal team of New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidate Matthew Nyindam was also directed by the Supreme Court to follow due process in serving the National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate, Daniel Nsala Wakpal.
Tamale International Airport, which was named Yakubu Tali International Airport by the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP), could be subject to a review of its name. This information was made public by a member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) communications team, Hamza Suhuyini, on Wednesday, February 4.
According to him, the airport’s current name honours a single individual rather than representing the broader northern community, adding that the NDC proposed Gbewaa International Airport.
He noted that the proposed name reflects the shared heritage of people from the Northern, North East, and Upper East Regions. “The NPP named the Tamale airport after one of its foundational members, Yakubu Tali, who is a sub-chief of the Ya Naa. We argued then that if the renaming was truly to honour the people of the North, it would have been better to name it Gbewaa International Airport, because people from the Northern, North East, and Upper East Regions all identify with Gbewaa as a common ancestor. They ignored our proposal and went ahead to name it Yakubu Tali International Airport. That particular name is also under review, so you can be rest assured,” he added.
This update comes after Majority Leader Haruna Iddrisu recently announced the government’s plan to rename Kotoka International Airport to Accra International Airport, pending parliamentary approval. Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga revealed the decision while speaking to journalists ahead of the first sitting of the Second Session of the 9th Parliament on Tuesday, February 3, 2026.
He explained that the airport was originally called Accra International Airport, but its name was later changed.
“It is not fair to the people of Accra that they gave out their land for the construction of an airport that was named after them, and the one who received the land changed it and named it with his name. To honour the people who gave the land, the government is going back to using it,” he added.
A bill to formalise the change will be introduced in Parliament by the Transport Minister.
“Government intends to rename Kotoka International Airport to Accra International Airport,” the Majority Leader said, noting that the bill would be presented in line with established procedures.
In February last year, the Democracy Hub, in partnership with the Convention People’s Party (CPP), took legal action at the Supreme Court to push for a change in the name of Ghana’s international airport, Kotoka.
They asserted that associating the facility with Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka goes against the country’s democratic values, as he was instrumental in the 1966 government takeover.
“For 59 years, Ghana has lived with the contradiction of denouncing coups while honouring one of the architects of the first military overthrow of an elected government,” the group stated.
The CPP and advocacy group Democracy Hub contended that the continued use of Kotoka’s name for the country’s main airport represents an official approval of military takeovers. They argue that renaming the facility would reinforce Ghana’s dedication to democratic governance.
“It is time for Ghana to make a clear statement that it stands against unconstitutional rule, not just in rhetoric but in practice,” the statement added.
This court case, initiated with the support of legal professionals from Merton & Everett LLP, follows in-depth historical and legal examinations. Democracy Hub appealed to civic organizations, youth movements, and champions of democracy to endorse the lawsuit, describing it as “more than a legal battle—this is about confronting our history.”
Lieutenant General Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka (26 September 1926 – 17 April 1967) played a key role in the National Liberation Council, the military administration that ousted Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s government through a coup on 24 February 1966.
Prominent among those calling for the airport’s name to be changed back is Samia Yaba Christina Nkrumah, daughter of Ghana’s first President, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah. She has repeatedly suggested that the facility should return to its original name, Accra International Airport.
The airport originally served as a military base for the British Royal Air Force during World War II before being handed over to civilian authorities. In 1956, under President Kwame Nkrumah, a project was launched to convert the site into a passenger terminal.
The project was completed in 1958, transforming the former military installation into a civilian airport capable of handling about 500,000 passengers a year. It was initially called Accra International Airport.
However, in 1969, the airport was renamed Kotoka International Airport in honor of Lieutenant General Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka (1926–1967), a member of the National Liberation Council who was killed during a failed coup attempt at what is now the airport’s forecourt.
The Member of Parliament for Berekum West on the National Democratic Congress (NDC) ticket, Dickson Kyere-Duah, has indicated that whoever wins the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) upcoming flagbearer race will not change the party’s fate in the 2028 general elections.
According to him, the NPP must lower its expectations in the 2028 elections as the party has lost public confidence and support. He emphasised that despite massive efforts, the party will not be able to secure victory in the 2028 elections.
“Whoever the NPP is going to present to us is going to face a humiliating defeat in 2028, no doubt about that. I’ve said it over and over. Let me repeat that—whoever it is, if the NDC continues along the path we’ve charted in the last 12 months, it doesn’t matter,” he stated.
The remarks come ahead of the NPP’s flagbearer race scheduled for Saturday, January 31.
The primaries is anticipated to attract significant interest from both longstanding members and new contenders seeking to lead the NPP into the next electoral cycle.
Meanwhile, the Executive Director of Global InfoAnalytics, Mussa Dankwah has predicted Former Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, to win 14 out of the 16 regions.,
Speaking to the media on Wednesday, January 28, he noted that Dr. Bawumia would sweep massive votes in the party’s stronghold, the Ashanti Region.
He added, “Yes, [Bawumia will win in 14 regions out of 16 regions].“All the areas we have looked at are pointing in one direction, and that direction is that Bawumia will win this Saturday’s election one-touch.
According to him, “Based on our model, his lowest score will be 54 percent, which is the 57 percent we are giving him minus the three percent margin of error, or he could get up to 60 percent”. The Executive Director of Global InfoAnalytics emphasised that the data is consistent across all regions. “I am very confident in Bawumia’s numbers because they are more stable in terms of variability. There is no noise in the data,” he added.
Last year, the National Tracking Poll by Global InfoAnalytics disclosed that 56 per cent of voters and 72 per cent of committed NPP delegates want former Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia as their flagbearer for the 2028 general elections.
According to the poll, 28 per cent of voters are rooting for former Assin Central MP Kennedy Agyapong, with 6 per cent each for Dr Bryan Acheampong and Dr Yaw Osei-Adutwum, and 4 per cent supporting Kwabena Agyapong.
Among NPP delegates, 19 per cent want Kennedy Agyapong, while Dr Bryan Acheampong records 4 per cent, Dr Osei-Adutwum 3 per cent, and Kwabena Agyapong 1 per cent.
The poll was conducted between December 1 and December 21 across all 16 regions of the country. Methods used include a combination of web-based, telephone, and face-to-face interviews.
In October 2025, the Pan-African civil society organisation Sanity Africa, which predicted the victory of Bernard Baidoo of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the tightly contested Akwatia by-election, released its Phase Two survey on the NPP presidential primaries.
According to the organisation’s survey, there has been a shift in the landscape as the party gears up towards the January 2026 primaries.
The abridged October report suggests that Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, popularly known as Ken, has strengthened his lead among NPP delegates, commanding 53.1% of voting intentions, representing a 1.7 percentage-point increase from the Phase One survey conducted in July.
Dr Mahamudu Bawumia (DMB) trails with 39.0%, indicating a 3.2-point drop. Behind them are Dr Bryan Acheampong at 5.0% (up 1.9 points), Dr Yaw Osei-Adutwum at 2.0% (down 1.0 point), and Ing. Kwabena A. Agyepong at 0.9% (rising from 0.3%).
The survey, carried out between July and October 2025, sampled 15,000 delegates from an estimated 218,000 in the expanded voter album across all 276 constituencies.
It boasts a 99% confidence level with a ±5% margin of error. At the regional level, Ken Agyapong sits atop as the leading candidate in 10 out of Ghana’s 16 regions, including strongholds such as Ashanti (54.8%), Central (69.0%), and Eastern (54.8%).
His biggest contender, Dr Bawumia, on the other hand, still holds his lead in the northern sector, with an advantage in the remaining six regions. He leads in the North East (70.0%) and Upper West (60.2%). Competitive races are unfolding in Bono East, Savannah, and Upper East, where margins remain slim.
Notable shifts include Dr Bawumia widening his lead in the North East Region from 51.6% to 70.0%, while Ken strengthened his position in Volta (50.8%) and Bono (53.0%).
Dr Bryan Acheampong registered significant gains in his home region of Eastern, rising to 21.7%. Sanity Africa noted that these shifts reflect evolving delegate sentiments influenced by campaign strategies and regional dynamics.
The organisation emphasised that while Ken Agyapong currently has the upper hand, the contest remains fluid. Endorsements, messaging, and campaign strategies, it said, are expected to play critical roles in shaping the outcome.
With Phase Three of the survey scheduled for release in January 2026, Sanity Africa concluded that Ken may be the one to beat, but the race is far from over.
However, the Global InfoAnalytics tracking poll named Dr Mahamudu Bawumia as the people’s preferred candidate to lead the NPP into the 2028 general election, ahead of his closest contender, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong.
The poll suggests that 57% of voters prefer Dr Bawumia as the party’s presidential candidate, while 29% picked Kennedy Ohene Agyapong.
The other contenders—former Minister of Education Dr Yaw Osei-Adutwum (6%), Minister of Food and Agriculture Dr Bryan Acheampong (5%), and former NPP General Secretary Kwabena Agyapong (3%)—trailed behind.
In the critical swing regions of Greater Accra, Central, and Western, Dr Bawumia also led decisively with 57%, followed by Kennedy Agyapong at 32%. Dr Adutwum and Dr Acheampong each secured 4%, while Kwabena Agyapong obtained 3%.
The survey further indicated that in a potential runoff between Dr Bawumia and Kennedy Agyapong, Dr Bawumia would extend his lead with 62% against Agyapong’s 38%.
Individuals seeking to contest the Ayawaso East parliamentary primary in the Greater Accra Region are required to pay a filing fee of GH₵40,000.
The amount is intended to help the party cover the cost of organising the primaries, including administrative and logistical expenses. This was disclosed in a press release issued by the party on January 20, 2026.
Aspirants are also required to purchase nomination forms at a cost of GH₵5,000 and submit the completed forms to the party’s Greater Accra Regional Office. Meanwhile, female aspirants and persons living with disabilities (PLWDs) will benefit from a 50 per cent reduction in the filing fee.
Parliamentary by-election will be held on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.The election has become necessary following the death of the area’s Member of Parliament, Hon. Mahama Naser Toure, which has left the seat vacant.
This will be the third time the country has had a rerun of elections after the 2024 general polls. Ablekuma North had remained the only constituency in Ghana without a sitting MP due to unresolved disagreements over the outcome of the parliamentary vote.
In a statement dated January 16, 2026, and signed by the EC’s Deputy Chairman for Operations, Samuel Tettey, the Commission explained how interested persons can contest the election.
Nominations will be accepted at the EC’s Ayawaso East Municipal Office in North Ridge from Monday, February 9, to Wednesday, February 11, 2026. Submissions will be taken between 9:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m., and from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. each day.
Aspiring candidates can download nomination forms from the EC’s website, www.ec.gov.gh/forms, starting Friday, January 16, 2026. Completed forms must be submitted in four copies and can be presented by the candidate, or by their proposer or seconder during the nomination period.
Each candidate must be supported by a proposer and a seconder who are registered voters in Ayawaso East, along with eighteen other registered voters from the constituency. Candidates are also required to submit two recent passport-size photographs with a red background.
A filing fee must be paid as part of the process. General candidates are to pay GH¢10,000, while female candidates and persons with disabilities will pay a reduced fee of GH¢7,500. The fee is non-refundable.
The EC stated that the by-election is being held in accordance with Article 112(5) of the 1992 Constitution, which mandates an election to be conducted when a parliamentary seat becomes vacant.
The Commission has called on the public to take note of the information as it works to ensure a free, fair, and transparent by-election.
Meanwhile, controversies surrounding the Kpandai parliamentary seat have received a reaction from the Supreme Court. On Tuesday, December 16, the Supreme Court ordered that the parliamentary rerun election in the area, scheduled for Tuesday, December 30, be suspended until further notice.
The legal team of New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidate Matthew Nyindam has also been directed by the Supreme Court to follow due process in serving the National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate, Daniel Nsala Wakpal. Meanwhile, the next hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, January 13, 2026.
A couple of months ago, the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Kpandai constituency, Mathew Nyindam, filed an application challenging the recent High Court ruling on the 2024 parliamentary elections in the area.
Earlier this year, the former Member of Parliament and NDC parliamentary candidate for Kpandai, Daniel Nsala Wakpal, submitted a petition to the Tamale High Court challenging the results of the 2024 parliamentary election in the constituency.
According to the petitioner, the Kpandai parliamentary election was marred by irregularities in the voting and collation processes. He argued that Pink Sheets from many polling stations were not accurate or consistent.
He stated: “The parliamentary election held in the Kpandai constituency on 7th December 2024 was not conducted in compliance with Regulations 39 of the Public Elections Regulations, 2020 (CI 127) and the principles laid down by Regulations 39, and that the said non-compliance affected the results of the elections.
“The declaration and publication of the parliamentary election results held in the Kpandai constituency on 7th December 2024 were not made in compliance with Regulations 43 of the Public Elections Regulations, 2020 (C.I 127) and the principles laid down by Regulations 43, and that the said non-compliance affected the entire results of the parliamentary elections in the Kpandai constituency.”
However, Mathew Nyindam has argued that “The Parliamentary Election Petition filed by the 1st Interested Party on 25th January 2025, in respect of the Parliamentary Election held at the Kpandai Constituency on 7th December 2024, was invalid and could not have properly invoked the jurisdiction of the High Court, Commercial Division, Tamale.”
In view of this, the Electoral Commission (EC) on Friday, July 11, held a rerun election in 19 polling stations in Ablekuma North to provide constituents with a representative. Ewurabena Aubynn polled 34,090 votes to beat the NPP’s Akua Afriyie, who secured 33,881 votes.
On December 10, 2024, three days after the national polls, the EC declared Ewurabena Aubynn of the NDC the winner of the Ablekuma North parliamentary seat, defeating the NPP’s Nana Akua Owusu Afriyieh.
However, the EC later revoked the announcement, revealing that results from 62 of the 281 polling stations had not been included in the initial collation.
Efforts to restart the collation in January 2025 were disrupted by multiple challenges. These included interruptions due to the submission of unverified Pink Sheets and a violent intrusion at the collation centre that heightened security concerns.
After extensive deliberations, the Electoral Commission in July announced that it would hold a rerun election because the 19 scanned polling station results used for the collation, though approved by agents of both political parties, were not verified by the presiding officers responsible for those polling stations.
The EC arrived at this decision after meeting with representatives of the NDC and the NPP on Tuesday, July 1.
News about a purported scheme by the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) to extend President Mahama’s term emerged in early May 2025, following his nomination of seven (7) justices to the Supreme Court. Minority Leader Afenyo-Markin stated that the move “reveals a deeper, more dangerous political ambition, a third-term agenda in disguise.”
It followed a protest in Parliament on December 9, when the Minority began chanting “No Third Term, Mahama! We want peace, Mahama” citing concerns of calls by some NDC members for president to continue another term.
Following these incidents, the General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, during the 44th Anniversary celebration of the 31st December Revolution in Accra labelled those calls as the height of sycophancy.
He expressed his increasing discontent over what he sees as a growing culture of excessive praise and unquestioning loyalty within the party. On his path, some party members believe flattering leaders, and licking boots of leaders in position is a way to stay relevant or secure opportunities.
“These days, it saddens me when I see sycophancy creep into our party. You see a group of people who believe that singing the praises of a leader is the only way they can survive. That is why you hear some of those people even urging statements like there should be a third term.”
He dismissed such calls outright, describing them as “nothing but sycophancy, pure sycophancy and boot-licking of the highest order”.
According to him, that trend violates the party’s principles and what it stands for. He said the NDC does not support the glorification of individuals at the expense of democratic principles citing the founder of the party, late Jerry John Rawlings who after transitioning from military rule to democratic rule never sought a third term.
He said this historical example highlights the contrast between the party’s founding values and the current behaviour of some supporters.
“Jerry Rawlings, who founded this party, was never at any point urged by anybody to go for a third term,” he said stressing that, individuals making calls for a third term as self-seeking, and not in the interest of the nation and democratic principles guided by the party.
“You have a bunch of sycophants who think that singing praises will get them the opportunity they are looking for,” he remarked. “You don’t love our country, and you don’t love our party.”
“It is important to appreciate that this party was grounded on the need to work for our people,” he said.
It will be recalled that, Speaking in reaction to this, Minister of State in Charge of Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, during an appearance on Channel One TV’s Face to Face programme on Tuesday, December 9, rebuffed the claims, labelling them as“absurd” and unfounded. According to him, President Mahama, over the years, has proven himself as an ardent democrat.
“It’s an absurd fantasy they’re getting themselves into. The NPP have whipped itself into needless frenzy. President Mahama has stated emphatically that he will respect the Ghanaian Constitution. Because he’s a consummate democrat, there’s no third term anywhere for him or any other person as far as the constitution is concerned. Anyone can say what they want.
He continued that, even though some netizens have called for a third term, President Mahama has explicitly stated that he is not interested.
“The fact that some people have gone on Facebook to say he should go for a third term doesn’t mean that will happen. The man himself has said he’s not interested.”
He urged the opposition to stop what he described as “needless speculation,” adding, “So NPP should stop wasting their time and everybody’s time, and purporting to be angry. The President has not expressed any intent. Any talk about it is a complete waste of everybody’s time.”
In late August, President Mahama reaffirmed his commitment to Ghana’s two-term presidential limit, making it clear that he has no intention of extending his tenure. He dismissed allegations that his government is plotting to stay beyond the constitutional limit and reiterated that he will not be on the ballot in 2028.
President Mahama made these remarks during a bilateral meeting with Singaporean President Tharman Shanmugaratnam as part of his three-day state visit.
He said this position places him in a stronger position to enforce fiscal discipline and curb the recurring election-year overspending that has contributed to Ghana’s cyclical economic crises.
According to him, he has no reason to bend fiscal rules and embezzle state funds just to win elections, assuring that this is his last term as president.
“I will not be a candidate in the next elections, and therefore I can hold the line when it comes to fiscal discipline,” he assured.
Per the Constitution, a president has at most two terms to serve the country. A term comprises four years.
Article 66 of the 1992 Constitution indicates the following:
(1) A person elected as President shall, subject to clause (3) of this article, hold office for a term of four years beginning from the date on which he is sworn in as President.
(2) A person shall not be elected to hold office as President of Ghana for more than two terms.
(3) The office of the President shall become vacant—
(a) on the expiration of the period specified in clause (1) of this article; or
(b) if the incumbent dies or resigns from office or ceases to hold office under Article 69 of this Constitution.
(4) The President may, by writing signed by him, and addressed to the Speaker of Parliament, resign from his office as President. (1) A person elected as President shall, subject to clause (3) of this article, hold office for a term of four years beginning from the date on which he is sworn in as President.
(2) A person shall not be elected to hold office as President of Ghana for more than two terms.
The late President Atta-Mills, who won the 2008 elections, passed away in July 2012, and as such, his then Vice President, Mahama, became President due to the vacancy left.
He completed Mills’ tenure and, in 2013, managed to win the elections to be elected President. He lost the seat to the now President Akufo-Addo in the 2016 elections. As such, he governed Ghana for one term, and per the constitution, he is entitled to another as he laces his boots for the 2024 elections.
Mahama won the 2024 elections; as such, he would not be able to contest the 2028 elections.
A bee attack on supporters of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Kpandai District after a campaign programme on Sunday, December 14, has claimed the life of an individual.
The deceased has been identified as a chief from one of the communities in the district. He is said to have been attacked by the bees while riding a motorbike after the campaign had concluded.
This information was disclosed by the NDC’s Secretary for the Kpandai Constituency, Mr. Robert. Meanwhile, investigations are ongoing to determine the exact circumstances surrounding the incident.
The development in Kpandai comes at a time when the area is gearing up for a rerun of the 2024 parliamentary election. According to the Electoral Commission (EC), the exercise will take place on Tuesday, December 30.
Only the three (3) candidates who participated in the 2024 Parliamentary Election in the constituency will contest, according to a press release dated December 10 by the Deputy Director at the Research, Monitoring and Evaluation Department of the EC.
“The Electoral Commission wishes to inform the General Public that following the Tamale High Court’s ruling on Monday, 24th November, 2025, ordering a rerun of the ‘Kandai Constituency Parliamentary Election within thirty (30) days’ and upon receipt of a letter from the Clerk to Parliament on Tuesday, 9th December, 2025, formally notifying the Commission of the occurrence of a vacancy in the Membership of Parliament, the seat of the Constituency in Parliament has become vacant.
“The Electoral Commission will hold a rerun of the Parliamentary Election in the Kpandai Constituency on Tuesday, 30th December, 2025.
“The rerun of the Kandai Constituency Parliamentary Election will be conducted for only the three (3) candidates who contested the 2024 Parliamentary Election in the said Constituency,” part of the statement read.
Meanwhile, the Minority in Parliament has opposed the court ruling declaring the vacancy of the Kpandai constituency parliamentary seat in the Northern Region null.
The Tamale High Court declared the Kpandai parliamentary election conducted in 2024 invalid on Monday, November 24. As a result, His Lordship Emmanuel Brew Plange directed the Electoral Commission (EC) to conduct a new poll in the constituency within 30 days.
But addressing the media on Tuesday, December 9, Minority Chief Whip Frank Annoh-Dompreh noted, “Mr Speaker, there is a letter that was sent into the House to declare the Kpandai seat vacant. That letter is out of place, unfortunate, and goes against the rule of law. We strongly submit that the letter must be withdrawn by Parliament. We in the Minority will not agree to the writing of this letter”.
However, the candidate at the centre of the Kpandai election challenge, Matthew Nyindam, has disclosed that the 2024 parliamentary election in the area was conducted in a free and fair manner.
Despite the High Court directing a re-run of the election, Matthew Nyindam insisted that he and his team did not engage in any wrongdoing and are prepared to face the re-run.
Speaking to the media on Tuesday, December 9, he noted, “I am so fine because I am not troubled. We’ve not cheated in this particular election. What I’ve realised is that there is a government that is so strong, and whatever they want to do, they will want to do it. They don’t care whether you are right or you are wrong.”
Earlier this year, the former Member of Parliament (MP) and National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary candidate for Kpandai, Daniel Nsala Wakpal, submitted a petition to the Tamale High Court challenging the results of the 2024 parliamentary election in the constituency.
According to the petitioner, the Kpandai parliamentary election was marred by irregularities in the voting and collation processes. He argued that Pink Sheets from many polling stations were inaccurate or inconsistent.
He stated: “The parliamentary election held in the Kpandai constituency on 7th December, 2024 was not conducted in compliance with Regulation 39 of the Public Elections Regulations, 2020 (C.I. 127) and the principles laid down by Regulation 39, and that the said non-compliance affected the results of the elections.
“The declaration and publication of the parliamentary election results held in the Kpandai constituency on 7th December, 2024 were not made in compliance with Regulation 43 of the Public Elections Regulations, 2020 (C.I. 127) and the principles laid down by Regulation 43, and that the said non-compliance affected the entire results of the parliamentary elections in the Kpandai constituency.”
But Matthew Nyindam has argued that, “The Parliamentary Election Petition filed by the 1st Interested Party on 25th January, 2025, in respect of the Parliamentary Election held at the Kpandai Constituency on 7th December, 2024, was invalid and could not have properly invoked the jurisdiction of the High Court, Commercial Division, Tamale.”
This will be the second time the country has had a re-run of elections after the 2024 general polls. Ablekuma North remained the only constituency in Ghana without a sitting MP due to unresolved disagreements over the outcome of the parliamentary vote.
The Electoral Commission on Friday, July 11, held a re-run election in 19 polling stations in Ablekuma North to provide constituents with a representative. Ewurabena Aubynn polled 34,090 votes to beat the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Akua Afriyie, who secured 33,881 votes.
On December 10, 2024, three days after the national polls, the EC declared Ewurabena Aubynn of the NDC the winner of the Ablekuma North parliamentary seat, defeating the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Nana Akua Owusu Afriyieh.
However, the EC later revoked the announcement, revealing that results from 62 of the 281 polling stations had not been included in the initial collation.
Efforts to restart the collation in January 2025 were disrupted by multiple challenges. These included interruptions due to the submission of unverified Pink Sheets and a violent intrusion at the collation centre that heightened security concerns.
After extensive deliberations, the Electoral Commission announced in July that it would hold a re-run election because the 19 scanned polling station results used for collation, although approved by agents of both political parties, had not been verified by the presiding officers responsible for those polling stations.
The EC arrived at this decision after meeting with representatives of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) on Tuesday, July 1.
The General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, has revealed that the late former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, was planning to rejoin the party before her demise.
Fifi Kwetey made the revelation after an NDC delegation visited her residence to commiserate with the family on Monday, October 27. According to him, the party was at the final stage of its reconciliation process with the late former First Lady.
“I wouldn’t say the talks were unsuccessful. I would rather say that the timing was the challenge. Because even on her part, you could clearly see that she was ready,” he said.
He added that the late former First Lady will forever be remembered for her sacrifices as one of the founding figures of the party, emphasizing that “the party will miss her dearly.”
He stated, “We have constantly said that with the role she played in forming this party and making it great and strong despite the difficulties that came along the way, we needed to put those behind us. I am happy that during her time, these efforts started and she embraced them.”
Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings passed away at the age of 76 on Thursday, October 23. Reports suggest that she died at the Ridge Hospital in Accra in the early hours of Thursday.
Born on November 17, 1948, in Cape Coast to the late J.O.T. Agyeman and his wife, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings served as the First Lady of Ghana from June 4, 1979, to September 24, 1979, during the presidency of Jerry John Rawlings.
She held the same position again from December 31, 1981, to January 7, 2001. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design at the University of Science and Technology (now KNUST), after specializing in Textiles. She furthered her education at the London College of Arts, where she obtained a Diploma in Interior Design.
Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings did not stop there; she went on to pursue a Diploma in Advanced Personnel Management from Ghana’s Management Development and Productivity Institute in 1979. At GIMPA, she received a Certificate in Development. She later attended Johns Hopkins University in Maryland, USA, where she pursued a Senior Fellow Diploma in Policy Studies.
Prior to her involvement in politics and social activism, she worked with the Ghana Tourist Board, the Union Trading Company (UTC) in Accra, and several other organizations.
As a formidable advocate for women’s rights and social justice, she founded the 31st December Women’s Movement in 1982. The influential non-governmental movement aimed to promote women’s education, economic empowerment, and legal reforms.
Through Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings’ efforts, the Intestate Succession Law (PNDCL 111) was enacted to protect the inheritance rights of widows and children.
In Ghanaian politics, she is recognized as the founder of the National Democratic Party (NDP), through which she ran for president in 2016. She was succeeded by Mohammed Frimpong, who led the party after she stepped down in 2024.
She parted ways with the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in 2012 following her defeat to the late President John Atta Mills in the party’s 2011 flagbearer race. She was elected as the NDC’s First Vice Chairperson in 2009.
In 2018, she launched her book titled It Takes a Woman, which captures her journey in politics and advocacy. Scores of Ghanaians have poured in with their tributes following her passing.
Recently, she was seen at the Forecourt of the Jubilee House to honour the eight public servants who passed away following the helicopter crash that occurred on August 6 at Adansi in the Ashanti Region. She was also spotted during the Dote Yie funeral rites for the late Asantehemaa, Nana Konadu Yiadom III.
Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings got married to the late Jerry John Rawlings in 1977 after they both met at Achimota School. The couple had four children — three daughters and one son.
Their children include Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, a medical doctor and Member of Parliament for the Klottey Korle Constituency; Kimathi Rawlings; Yaa Asantewaa Rawlings; and Amina Rawlings. Unfortunately, Jerry John Rawlings passed away in November 2020 at the age of 73. He was confirmed dead after a short illness at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.
Mrs. Nana Konadu Rawlings’ death comes at a time when the country is still recovering from the loss of eight victims in the tragic military helicopter crash.
The deceased included Dr. Edward Kofi Omane Boamah, Minister for Defence; Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed; Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator in charge of Human Security, Alhaji Muniru Limuna Mohammed; Vice Chairman of the National Democratic Congress, Samuel Sarpong; and Deputy Director-General of NADMO, Samuel Aboagye.
Others included Squadron Leader Peter Analaa of the Ghana Air Force, Flying Officer Tsum Ampadu of the Ghana Air Force, and Sergeant Ernest Addo of the Ghana Air Force.
Meanwhile, investigations into the Z-9 helicopter crash have officially begun following the establishment of an investigative board, as announced by the Ministry of Defence.
The board is chaired by the National Security Coordinator, with members drawn from the Ghana Air Force and the Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation and Prevention Bureau of the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).
President John Mahama earlier disclosed that the flight data and cockpit voice recorders of the Z-9 Air Force helicopter had been retrieved. He made this announcement during his national address on Thursday, August 7, a day after the incident.
In the United States, the authority responsible for investigating aircraft accidents is the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The NTSB is an independent federal agency mandated by Congress to investigate every civil aviation accident in the U.S., as well as significant incidents in other modes of transportation, including railroad, transit, highway, marine, pipeline, and commercial space.
Since its establishment in 1967, the NTSB has investigated more than 153,000 aviation accidents and thousands of surface transportation events. Its mission is to determine probable causes, examine safety issues, and develop recommendations to prevent similar accidents in the future.
To date, the Board has issued more than 15,500 safety recommendations to over 2,470 recipients, with an implementation rate of 82 percent for the more than 12,700 recommendations that have been closed.
In Ghana, the Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation and Prevention Bureau (AIB) is responsible for investigating plane crashes. On July 6, 2020, former President Nana Akufo-Addo granted executive approval for the laying before Parliament of the Aircraft Accident Investigation and Prevention Bureau Bill, 2020.
The bill sought to establish an autonomous Bureau to conduct investigations into aircraft accidents and incidents in line with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs).
The first batch of Ghana’s newly appointed envoys has been sworn in by President John Dramani Mahama. The induction ceremony was held at the Jubilee House on Thursday, September 4.
The fifteen (15) of appointees sworn in today include; Benjamin A. Quashie will oversee the operations of Ghana’s diplomatic mission in the Republic of South Africa, while Kojo Bonsu takes charge of the People’s Republic of China. Kulsoume Sinare Baffoe will head affairs in the Kingdom of Spain.
Hammed Rashid Tunde Ali will the United Arab Emirates, Hon. Captain George Kofi Nfojoh in the Togolese Republic, and Grace El Mahmoud Marabe in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Prof. Ohene Adjei will head the mission in the Federal Republic of Germany, Abdul Nasiru-Deen in the Republic of Turkey.
Theresah Adjei-Mensah in the Czech Republic, and Prof. Kwasi Obiri-Danso in India. Dora Francisca Edu-Buandoh, Ph.D., will serve in Canada, Dr. Margaret Miewien Chebere in Denmark, Labik Joseph Yaani in Equatorial Guinea, Nii Amasah Namoale in the Federative Republic of Brazil, and Dr. Felix Kumah Godwin Anebo in the Republic of Senegal.
The remaining eight appointees are Alhaji Abdul-Rahman Harruna Attah, the Ambassador to the Republic of Namibia; Kojo Choi, Ambassador to the Republic of South Korea; Dr. Kwame Ampofo, who will represent Ghana in Hungary; Mona Helen Kabuki Quartey, who will serve as Ambassador to the Italian Republic; Magnus Kofi Amoatey, who has been appointed as Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of the Congo; Kenneth Akibate, who is Ambassador to Burkina Faso, Said Sinare, who is Ambassador to Saudi Arabia and Paul Evans Aidoo, who will head Ghana’s mission in the Republic of Kenya.
The twenty-three individuals are expected to promote Ghana’s foreign policy and protect the welfare of Ghanaians overseas. Speaking at the induction ceremony for the 15 distinguished individuals, President Mahama noted that their “appointment is a mark of the confidence reposed in you and a recognition of your years of dedicated service, sterling achievement, and exemplary contributions both in the public and private sectors”.
He urged the envoys to uphold transparency in carrying out their duties. Additionally, the President disclosed that taxpayers would no longer bear the cost of expensive properties rented by diplomatic missions abroad.
According to him, the country cannot bear the cost of more than $15 million every year on renting properties for diplomatic missions.
He called the practice wasteful and one that can no longer be tolerated under the ruling National Democratic Congress’ (NDC) Reset Agenda.
The President added that the Cabinet has given the nod to the government’s new initiative, Strategic Transition from Rental to Developing (STRIDE).
The STRIDE policy is to reduce unnecessary losses the country absorbs on renting properties abroad for its diplomatic missions, hence, ensuring Ghana’s foreign missions are accommodated in state-owned properties.
“From my latest briefing, a transaction advisor has been appointed, standard developments are being prepared, and funding mechanisms are already being negotiated.This shift will ensure that our missions abroad are housed in proper homes owned by the republic, reducing wasteful expenditure while safeguarding Ghana’s dignity on the international stage.
“Ghana cannot continue spending more than $15 million every year on renting properties abroad for our diplomatic use. This is not a judicious use of taxpayers’ resources, and the Reset Agenda is an immediate reversal of this trend,” he stated.
On Monday, September 1, Ghana’s historic five hundred (500) Key Performance Indicators (KPI) for heads of missions was launched by President John Dramani Mahama.
The initiative is to provide heads of mission with a clear framework for assessing their work and supporting the President’s Reset Vision for the country.
Delivering his keynote address, President Mahama stated that Ghana’s mission had advanced into paths of economic engagement, facilitating trade, attracting investment, and promoting innovation.
Thus, he charged the heads of missions to promote investments in Ghana’s priority sectors, industrialization, renewable energy, digital services, agro-processing, infrastructure and tourism.
“I charge you to expand our export markets, especially for value-added goods such as processed food, shea butter, textiles, crafts, and digital services. I charge you to move the life of our diaspora not only as remittance of money, but also as investors, innovators, and partners in Ghana’s development,” he said.
The 500 KPIs cover areas such as securing scholarships and promoting exchange programmes with foreign institutions to build human capacity as well as increasing tourist arrivals by a least 10 per cent each year to create jobs and strengthen foreign reserves.
They also require strict compliance with financial and procurement rules, enhancing national security through stronger intelligence sharing and partnerships with foreign agencies, navigating Permanent Joint Commissions for Cooperation (PJCC) with major partners, and shifting from renting office spaces to building permanent infrastructure to cut down rent costs.
He stressed that the performance of the heads of missions will be judged not by ceremonial protocols, but by the level of investment, trade, and opportunities they can attract for the country.
President Mahama explained that the Government’s Reset Agenda also focuses on governance, particularly restoring public trust through transparency and accountability.
He added that as Ghana’s envoys abroad, the heads of mission are expected to reflect these principles, managing the nation’s missions with integrity, efficiency, and professionalism.
“Our citizens abroad must experience fairness and respect, for our diplomacy’s credibility is inseparable from the credibility of our governments,” he added.
Executive Director of Global Info Analytics, Mussa Dankwah, has expressed delight after his outfit’s projection for the Akwatia by-election proved accurate.
Speaking to the media, he said the election outcome has eased the criticism he faced.
Global InfoAnalytics predicted a 53% win for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate, Bernard Baidoo Bediako, ahead of the Akwatia by-election on Tuesday, September 2.
“I knew I would have been taken to the slaughterhouse. They were preparing to take me there to finish me if I got this wrong,” he said.
“The word here is poll, fair game, research, and science. Gone are the days when elections are won on propaganda, emotions, insults, or just anything. All the parties must realize that the demography of people who are voting in Ghana today has dramatically changed.
“Over 70% of people who vote in Ghana today are below 35 years old. That is something that they must appreciate and understand the implications of the same,” Mr Dankwa explained.
The National Democratic Congress’ Bernard Bediako Baidoo declared Member of Parliament (MP) elect for Akwatia constituency.
He polled 18,199 votes to beat the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP), Solomon Kwame Asumadu who secured 15,235. votes. According to the retaining officer of the Electoral Commission (EC), the total votes were 33,819 with 33,516 valid votes and 303 ballots rejected.
The EC on Tuesday, September 2, held a by-election for constituents in 119 polling stations of the Akwatia constituency to provide constituents a representative, following the sudden passing of their former MP, Ernest Yaw Kumi.
Ernest Kumi was confirmed dead on Monday, July 7, 2025. At the time of his passing, Ernest Kumi had only served the constituency for six months.
On Tuesday, September 2, more than 50,000 registered constituents in Akwatia cast their ballots to select an MP to represent the constituencyin Parliament.
The NDC elected legal practitioner Bernard Bediako Baidoo to contest the election. The New Patriotic Party (NPP) on the other hand, selected the Chief Executive of Owuo Mining Company, Solomon Kwame Asumadu, as its parliamentary candidate for the by-election.
However, David Ankomah, who sought to contest on the ticket of the Action People’s Party (APP), was disqualified by the Electoral Commission (EC) over failing to submit his tax clearance certificate. As a result, the disqualified candidate filed a lawsuit against the Electoral Commission.
He has challenged the EC at the High Court for excluding him for failing to submit his tax clearance certificate. Ankomah argued that the Commission gave him too short a notice to produce the certificate through the Akwatia District Electoral Officer, which caused the delay to provide the required document.
Additionally, he maintains that he completed all necessary processes needed to participate in the race. He further prayed the Court to suspend the by-election until the case is determined.
Meanwhile, over 5,500 police personnel were deployed to Akwatia to ensure law and order during the by-election. The police grouped the constituency into nine security zones to ensure effective coverage.
600 officers were fully armed to swiftly respond to any disturbances that may occur during the exercise. Prior to the election the National Democratic Congress and the New Patriotic Party allegedly held back from signing a peace pact.
This follows claims by the NPP that the NDC’s representatives presented constituency executives instead of national-level executives to sign the agreement.
NPP National Organizer Henry Nana Boakye told reporters that the NDC had shown reluctance to commit to the peace declaration, accusing the party of deliberately stalling the process.
Speaking to the media after the failed engagement, a Board member of the Peace Council, Sheikh Armeyaw Shaibu, said, “In the spirit of mutual dialogue and mutual respect, the two parties agreed that we should suspend the meeting”.
The by-election did not witness a lot of chaos, unlike those that occurred during the Ablekuma-North rerun election. In the coming days, constituents of Tamale Central will vote to elect a representative in Parliament. The upcoming by-election is slated for Tuesday, September 30.
This follows the death of its legislator, Alhaji Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed. He was among the eight individuals who lost their lives in the tragic helicopter accident on August 6. He was laid to rest on August 10.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has already cleared 12 out of 16 aspirants who picked up nomination forms to contest the Tamale Central parliamentary primary.
The 12 aspirants were cleared only after the completion of the vetting process. The NDC opened nominations on August 21, for aspirants seeking to contest the Tamale Central Constituency primary.
Nomination forms were available at the Northern Regional Office of the party from Friday, August 22, to Sunday, August 24, 2025, between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. each day.
Prospective aspirants will pay a non-refundable nomination fee of GH¢5,000 and a filing fee of GH¢40,000 to be paid in cash only into the party’s official account at UMB Bank, Adabraka Branch. No cheques or bankers’ drafts will be accepted.
There is a slash for …”female aspirants and persons with disabilities are entitled to a 50 per cent reduction on the filing fee. A certified copy of the delegates’ list will be made available to all aspirants after the vetting process.”
A certified copy of the delegates’ list will be made available to all aspirants after the vetting process.
The party has urged all prospective aspirants and stakeholders to ensure strict compliance with these directives and to conduct their campaigns and related activities with decorum, unity, and fairness.”
Meanwhile, the NPP has declared its intention not to participate in the upcoming by-election. According to a statement signed by NPP’s General Secretary Justin Kodua Frimpong, the decision was taken by the Party at a National Steering Committee meeting held on Monday, August 11, 2025, at the Party Headquarters pursuant to Article 10(10)(1) of the Party Constitution.
According to the statement, this will be the party’s better way of honoring Dr. Murtala Mohammed and the other crash victims.
“In arriving at the decision, the Party considered many factors, including the circumstances under which the Tamale Central seat has become vacant and the possibility of a further polarization of the country at this critical time.
The NPP is of the belief that it would be inhumane and unconscionable to subject the nation to competitive processes in search of a replacement for the departed MP.
The Party believes that the tension and acrimony often associated with the conduct of by-elections in the country should be avoided.
“It is the considered view of the Party that the greatest tribute that the NPP and the rest of the nation can pay in honour of the departed, is not only to win the fight against Galamsey but also to ensure a smooth and peaceful replacement for the good people of Tamale Central.
“Consequently, the NPP hereby announces that when the Electoral Commission of Ghana opens nominations for the Tamale Central by-election in line with Article 112 (5) of Ghana’s Constitution, the Party will, in accord with the national interest, not take part in the contest,” parts of the statement read.
The third National Vice Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Alhaji Osman Masawudu, has been slapped following an intense confrontation with the aide of the National Democratic Congress’ (NDC) Vice Chairman, Chief Sofo Azorka.
The incident occurred today, Tuesday, September 2, during the ongoing by-election at Akwatia, Eastern Region.
NDC’s Azoka in heated clash with NPP Second Vice Chairman over interview remarks.
“I have been assigned to supervise and monitor the election at Akwatia Zongo. In fact, I was granting an interview when a national vice chairman of the NDC, Azorka — because of ignorance — came straight to where I was granting an interview to attack me.
“This incident happened in the presence of the police. He said it clearly that today he will make sure that I will be caned here, myself and Afenyo-Markin,” Masawudu recounted.
However, police personnel present at the scene managed to restore calm.
Earlier today, a video circulating showed an individual being carried into a police van after he was arrested by the police for reportedly destroying a poster of a contestant in the Akwatia by-election.
More than 50,000 registered constituents in Akwatia, in the Eastern Region, are casting their ballots today, Tuesday, September 2, to select a Member of Parliament (MP) to represent the Constituency in Parliament.
Today’s polls have become necessary following the sudden passing of the sitting MP, Ernest Yaw Kumi, which occurred on Monday, July 7, 2025. Ernest Yaw Kumi had only served for six months as the MP for the area.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has elected legal practitioner Bernard Bediako Baidoo to contest the election. The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has also selected the Chief Executive of Owuo Mining Company, Solomon Kwame Asumadu, as its parliamentary candidate for the by-election.
However, David Ankomah, who sought to contest on the ticket of the Action People’s Party (APP) has been disqualified by the Electoral Commission (EC) over failing to submit his tax clearance certificate. In this regard, the disqualified candidate has filed a lawsuit against the Electoral Commission.
He has therefore challenged the EC at the High Court for excluding him because he failed to submit his tax clearance certificate. Ankomah argued that the Commission gave him too short a notice to produce the certificate through the Akwatia District Electoral Officer, which caused his inability to provide the required document.
Additionally, he maintains that he has completed all necessary processes needed to participate in the race. He has therefore prayed the Court to suspend the by-election until the case is determined.
Meanwhile, over 5,500 police personnel have been deployed to Akwatia to ensure law and order during the by-election. Briefing the media on the Police’s preparation ahead of the by-election on Friday, August 30, the Director-General of Operations, COP Dr. Vance Baba Gariba, noted that to ensure effective coverage, the constituency has been grouped into nine security zones.
He disclosed that 600 officers have been fully armed to swiftly respond to any disturbances that may occur during the exercise.The Director General of Operations has assured that the military will only assist should matters get beyond control.
“The military will be only on standby.As and when we need them, then we will deploy them, but if we don’t need the military, then we will not request for the deployment of the military. They are only going to be on standby,” COP Gariba stated.
Former Government Spokesperson on Governance and Security, Dr. Palgrave Boakye-Danquah, has encouraged Akwatia constituents to participate in the by-election without being intimidated by the security presence.
Engaging with the media on Monday, August 25, he indicated that the security presence is to ensure that the electoral process is not tampered with.
Meanwhile, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) have allegedly held back from signing a peace pact ahead of the Akwatia by-election.
This follows claims by the NPP that the NDC’s representatives presented constituency executives instead of national-level executives to sign the agreement.
NPP National Organizer Henry Nana Boakye told reporters that the NDC had shown reluctance to commit to the peace declaration, accusing the party of deliberately stalling the process.
Speaking to the media after the failed engagement, a Board member of the Peace Council, Sheikh Armeyaw Shaibu, said, “In the spirit of mutual dialogue and mutual respect, the two parties agreed that we should suspend the meeting”.
In a series of security operations in Akwatia, the Eastern South Regional Police Command has announced the arrest of ten persons and the confiscation of nine firearms ahead of the upcoming by-election.
The seized firearms include eight pump-action shotguns and one locally manufactured single-barreled gun. This was announced in a statement shared on the Command’s official Facebook page earlier today.
The statement noted that, “These seizures form part of intensified efforts to prevent the unlawful possession and use of weapons during the electoral process.”
The first suspects were intercepted in a vehicle driven by one Bernard Kumi Ofosu near the St. Dominic Hospital in Akwatia. A search of the vehicle uncovered a Tulpar double-barrel pump-action gun, four AAA live cartridges, and two FTB blanks. Ofosu admitted ownership and presented a valid license.
He is currently assisting with investigations while the exhibits undergo verification. The statement further revealed that another operation led to the arrest of suspect Joshua Amenuku, from whom 15 live cartridges were retrieved.
A subsequent search at his residence uncovered an Adler Tulpar pump-action gun and five additional live cartridges.
“In a separate operation at the Akwatia Y-Junction snap check, the Police arrested suspect Joshua Amenuku after retrieving 15 live BB cartridges from him. A subsequent search at his residence uncovered one Adler Tulpar pump-action gun and five additional live BB cartridges,” the police added.
Later that evening, the police intercepted a Toyota Hilux pickup at the Boadua Livingstone snap checkpoint and arrested suspects Enoch Asiedu and Lu Youyan, a Chinese national, after retrieving four live BB cartridges from the vehicle.
According to the statement, “Preliminary interrogation revealed that the ammunition allegedly belonged to their employer, one Mohammed, identified as the owner of the vehicle. Efforts are underway to trace and arrest suspect Mohammed for interrogation, while the two suspects remain in custody assisting investigations.”
In another operation on Friday, August 23, police officers on duty at the Boadua Livingstone Junction snap checkpoint arrested suspect Pieterson Joseph after retrieving one Adler Tulpar pump-action gun and 46 AAA and BB cartridges from his vehicle. The suspect admitted ownership of the firearm.
On the same day, officers on snap-check duty at Staff Village Boadua intercepted a Toyota Tundra pickup with registration number WR 5535-13 traveling from Asamankese towards Boadua.
A search conducted on the vehicle revealed three pump-action guns, including one Pardus pump-action, one Huglu Atroe pump-action, and one other pump-action gun.
Suspect Stephen Nkansah claimed ownership of two of the firearms and stated that the third belonged to his chief. Nkansah has since been arrested and detained for investigation.
Following these successful operations, the police assured the public and all stakeholders that they would intensify efforts to ensure the integrity of the elections as well as maintain peace and security in the region ahead of the polls.
The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Christian Tetteh Yohuno, has assured that his outfit will remain vigilant to avert any form of misconduct or electoral violence during the Akwatia by-election.
Engaging the media, the IGP stated that his officers are fully prepared. “We want to assure Ghanaians that the police are ready to handle any type of thing that may come in Akwatia.
We are ready with the men. We have the men who can handle this situation, and then our eyes are red for Akwatia, and nobody, nobody should think of coming to cause trouble,” he said.
The IGP also cautioned political parties participating in the by-election against mobilising supporters to disrupt the electoral process.
“No political party should mobilise men to come and foment trouble, and nobody should have in mind the intention of snatching a ballot box. We have prepared our men adequately to handle this situation, and that, I informed the political parties as I met them yesterday [Tuesday],” he said.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) have allegedly held back from signing a peace pact ahead of the Akwatia by-election.
This follows claims by the NPP that the NDC’s representatives presented constituency executives instead of national-level executives to sign the agreement.
NPP National Organizer Henry Nana Boakye told reporters that the NDC had shown reluctance to commit to the peace declaration, accusing the party of deliberately stalling the process.
Speaking to the media after the failed engagement, a Board member of the Peace Council, Sheikh Armeyaw Shaibu said, “In the spirit of mutual dialogue and mutual respect, the two parties agreed that we should suspend the meeting”.
The Akwatia by-election is slated for Tuesday, September 2. The election has become a necessity following the tragic passing of the Member of Parliament for the area, Ernest Yaw Kumi, who had only served for six months.
Former Government Spokesperson on Governance and Security, Dr. Palgrave Boakye-Danquah, has encouraged Akwatia constituents to participate in the upcoming by-election without being intimidated by the security presence.
Engaging with the media on Monday, August 25, he indicated that the security presence is to ensure that the electoral process is not tampered with.
Following the disturbance and violence that erupted during the Ablekuma North by-elections, police have beefed up efforts to prevent a similar occurrence at Akwatia.
“I want to appeal to the people of Akwatia that the presence of the security and the Electoral Commission is to ensure that the election is incident-free and peaceful because of the history of past incidents in Akwatia. No one should be afraid to come out and vote. Do not be intimidated at all,” he emphasised.
In a series of security operations in Akwatia, the Eastern South Regional Police Command has announced the arrest of ten persons, confiscating nine firearms ahead of the upcoming by-election.
The firearms include eight pump-action shotguns and one locally manufactured single-barreled gun.
This was announced in a statement shared on their official Facebook page earlier today. They revealed that “These seizures form part of intensified efforts to prevent the unlawful possession and use of weapons during the electoral process”.
The first suspects were intercepted in a vehicle being driven by one Bernard Kumi Ofosu near the St. Dominic Hospital in Akwatia.
Following a search, of the vehicle, they found a Tulpar double-barrel pump-action gun, four AAA live cartridges, and two FTB blanks.
Ofosu admitted ownership and presented a valid license. He is currently assisting with investigations while the exhibits undergo verification.
Also, the statement continued that another operation led to the discovery of 15 live cartridges from another suspect, Joshua Amenuku. A latter search at his residence led to the discovery of a gun and more live catridges.
“In a separate operation at the Akwatia Y-Junction snap check, the Police arrested suspect Joshua Amenuku after retrieving 15 live BB cartridges from him. A subsequent search at his residence uncovered one ADLER TULPA pump-action gun and five additional live BB cartridges” the police added.
They also revealed that “later that evening, Police intercepted a Toyota Hilux pick-up at the Boadua Livingstone snap check point and arrested suspects Enoch Asiedu, and Lu Youyan, a Chinese national, after four live BB cartridges were retrieved from the vehicle.
“Preliminary interrogation revealed that the ammunition allegedly belonged to their employer, one Mohammed, identified as the owner of the vehicle. Efforts are underway to trace and arrest suspect Mohammed for interrogation, while the two suspects remain in custody assisting investigations,” the statement said.
The police continued that “Four live BB cartridges were retrieved from the vehicle. Preliminary checks linked the ammunition to their employer, identified as Mohammed, owner of the vehicle. Police are pursuing him for questioning while the two suspects remain in custody.
In another operation on Friday, August 23, “Police officers on duty at the Boadua Livingstone Junction snap check point again arrested suspect Pieterson Joseph, after retrieving one (1) ADLER TULPAR pump-action gun and 46 AAA and BB cartridges from his vehicle. The suspect admitted ownership of the firearm”.
On the same day, the police “officers on snap-check duty at Staff Village Boadua, intercepted a Toyota Tundra pick-up with registration no WR 5535-13 from the Asamankese direction towards Boadua. A search conducted in the Tundra pick up revealed the three pump-action guns, including (1) Pardus pump-action gun, one (1) Hulglu Atroe pump-action and one (1) other pump-action gun. Suspect Stephen Nkansah claimed ownership of two of the pump-action guns and stated that the third pump-action gun belongs to his chief. Meanwhile, suspect Stephen Nkansah has been arrested and detained for investigation”.
Following such successful operations, the Police assured the public and all other stakeholders that, it will intensify operations to ensure the sanity of the elections as well as maintain peace and security in the region ahead of the elections.
Meanwhile, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Christian Tetteh Yohuno, has noted that his outfit will stay alert and avert any form of misconduct and electoral violence during the Akwatia by-election slated for Tuesday, September 2.
Engaging the media, the IGP noted that his officers are up to the task.
“We want to assure Ghanaians that the police is ready to handle any type of thing that may come in Akwatia. We are ready with the men. We have the men who can handle this situation and then our eyes are red for Akwatia and nobody, nobody should think of coming to cause trouble,” he said.
IGP Christian Tetteh Yohuno cautioned the political parties participating in the by-election against marching men to the polling stations to distrupt the electoral process.
“No political party should mobilise men to come and foment trouble, and nobody should have in mind the intention of snatching a ballot box. We have prepared our men adequately to handle this situation, and that, I informed the political parties as I met them yesterday [Tuesday],” he explained.
has noted that individuals who attempt to cause any form of violence during the Akwatia by-election will be quickly whisked away by police personnel to face the full rigor of the law.
According to the police, a mobile prison will be set up to detain suspects. The IGP made this information known to the media during the final day of a five-day intensive training at the High Risk Operations Training Centre (HROT-C) at Akyeremanteng in the Eastern Region.
“There is no fear for Akwatia, this will be one of the best and peaceful elections because we are fully prepared. If you come quietly to vote, we will receive you quietly, if you have any intention of causing trouble, we will not allow you to go free, we will change your location. We will house you in different forms, before your trouble goes far.”
“Under no circumstances will someone come to the polling station to create a problem, and we will allow the person to go free,” the IGP said.
The training included tactical drills such as rappelling, precision shooting, handcuffing, vehicle stop and search, crowd control, and human rights considerations. Over 5,000 police personnel are expected to be deployed to Akwatia for the by-election.
On 12th August 2025, the IGP and his team held a meeting with the Electoral Commission (EC) to discuss the broader roadmap for the polls. The discussions centered on coordination between the Police and the EC to ensure smooth operations before, during, and after the election. The EC also outlined its operational roadmap for the conduct of the by-election.
Similarly, on 13th August 2025, the Police engaged the Institute of Democratic Governance (IDEG) at the National Police Headquarters. At the meeting, IDEG highlighted concerns related to electoral security, transparency, and the role of stakeholders in sustaining public confidence in the process.
Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia, has urged members of the National Democratic Congress to exercise restraint from discussing and announcing their intentions to contest the Tamale Central seat, which has become vacant following the demise of its Member of Parliament (MP), Alhaji Hon. Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed.
He shared the words of caution while lauding the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) decision not to contest in the Tamale Central by-election.
“I beg our party members not to rush into contesting the Tamale Central constituency. Let’s stay calm and not disrupt the funeral rites of our fallen heroes. The party will meet after the funeral and set timelines to get a replacement for the late Murtala Mohammed,” he said.
Speaking at the final funeral rites of the late Dr. Murtala Mohammed at his family house in Tamale on Tuesday, August 12, Asiedu Nketia described the NPP’s move as one that demonstrates political maturity.
“We thank our brothers in the NPP for declaring that they won’t contest us in Tamale Central,” he said.
Constituents in the coming weeks will have the opportunity to elect an individual to represent the area in Parliament, following the passing of the Member of Parliament, Alhaji Hon. Dr. Murtala Mohammed, in the August 6 helicopter crash.
On Monday, August 11, the New Patriotic Party declared its intention not to participate in a by-election in the area. According to a statement signed by NPP General Secretary Justin Kodua Frimpong, the decision was taken by the Party at a National Steering Committee meeting held on Monday, August 11, 2025, at the Party Headquarters pursuant to Article 10(10)(1) of the Party Constitution.
According to the statement, this will be the party’s better way of honoring Dr. Murtala Mohammed and the other crash victims. “In arriving at the decision, the Party considered many factors, including the circumstances under which the Tamale Central seat has become vacant and the possibility of a further polarization of the country at this critical time.
The NPP is of the belief that it would be inhumane and unconscionable to subject the nation to a competitive processes in search of a replacement for the departed MP. The Party believes that the tension and acrimony often associated with the conduct of by-elections in the country should be avoided.
It is the considered view of the Party that the greatest tribute that the NPP and the rest of the nation can pay in honour of the departed, is not only to win the fight against Galamsey but also to ensure a smooth and peaceful replacement for the good people of Tamale Central.
Consequently, the NPP hereby announces that when the Electoral Commission of Ghana opens nominations for the Tamale Central by-election in line with Article 112 (5) of Ghana’s Constitution, the Party will, in accord with the national interest, not take part in the contest,” a part of the statement read.
Background
The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) earlier reported that its air force helicopter Z9, which took off on August 6 morning at 0912 hrs from Accra and headed for Obuasi, was off the radar. Hours later, the Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, confirmed the unfortunate demise of the 8 individuals comprising three crew and five passengers.
The deceased are Dr. Edward Kofi Omane Boamah, Minister for Defence; Alhaji Dr. Murtala Mohammed, Member of Parliament for Tamale Central and Minister for Environment, Science, and Technology; Alhaji Muniru Mohammed Limuna, Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator; Samuel Sarpong, Vice Chairman of the National Democratic Congress; Samuel Aboagye, Deputy Director-General of NADMO; Squadron Leader Peter Anala of the Ghana Air Force; Flying Officer Tsum Ampadu of the Ghana Air Force; Sergeant Ernest Addo of the Ghana Air Force. Member of Parliament for Tamale Central and Minister for Environment, Science, and Technology, Alhaji Dr. Murtala Mohammed, and Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator Alhaji Muniru Mohammed Limuna—two out of the eight who perished in the August 6 helicopter crash—have been buried in accordance with Islamic Tradition, Custom and Practices.They were buried following the arrival of the DNA results on Saturday, August 9.
On Sunday, August 10, Muslim Jannaza prayers were offered at the forecourt of State House. Following that, the deceased were buried at the Military Cemetery, Accra. The Chief Imam, Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharubutu, led the prayers.
President John Dramani Mahama and Speaker of Parliament Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin attended the prayers, which were also attended by Ministers of State, Members of Parliament, religious leaders, and institutional heads, among many other Ghanaians.
At the burial site, President Mahama used the opportunity to thank all who were present and showed their sympathy to the family and the country as a whole. He also expressed gratitude to the family for their patience in ensuring the DNA tests are carried out to aid the identification of the two deceased.
“Today is not a day for talking; I want to thank you for your sympathy. I want to thank the two families for their patience. I want to thank the family for accepting my decision for the two brothers to be buried here. The families are free to visit anytime they want to do so,” he added.
Meanwhile, Minister for Health Minister Akandoh and the Inspector General of Police, COP Christian Tetteh Yohuno, on Sunday, August 10, received the DNA results for the remaining six deceased in the August 6 helicopter crash.
They received the results at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA). Engaging the media, the Health Minister noted that the results have been received earlier due to the expedited efforts put in by the government.
On Friday, 15th August, an inter-denominational state funeral will be held for the remaining six individuals who lost their lives in the tragic helicopter accident.
The National Democratic Congress’ (NDC) Ewurabena Aubynn is expected to be officially sworn in as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ablekuma North by the Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Bagbin, today, Tuesday, July 22.
Her swearing-in follows her massive victory in the recent parliamentary rerun election in the constituency. She polled 34,090 votes to beat the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Akua Afriyie, who secured 33,881 votes.
The Electoral Commission (EC) held a rerun election in 19 polling stations of the Ablekuma North to provide its constituents a representative after the 2024 parliamentary elections on Friday, July 11.
For months, the constituency remained without a sitting MP, due to unresolved disagreements over the outcome of the parliamentary vote in 2024.
After the 2024 polls, Ablekuma North remained the only constituency in Ghana without a sitting MP, due to unresolved disagreements over the outcome of the parliamentary vote.
On December 10, 2024, three days after the national polls, the EC declared Ewurabena Aubynn of the NDC the winner of the Ablekuma North parliamentary seat, defeating the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Nana Akua Owusu Afriyieh.
However, the EC later revoked the announcement, revealing that results from 62 of the 281 polling stations had not been included in the initial collation.
Multiple challenges disrupted efforts to restart the collation in January 2025. These included interruptions due to the submission of unverified pink sheets and a violent intrusion at the collation centre that heightened security concerns.
The EC, after extensive deliberations, in July noted that it will hold the rerun election because the 19 scanned polling station results used for the collation, though approved by agents of both political parties, were not verified by the presiding officers responsible for those polling stations. The EC arrived at this decision after it met with the representatives of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and New Patriotic Party (NPP) on Tuesday, July 1. The NDC now has 184 seats in Parliament with Aubynn’s victory, whereas the NPP has 87 seats. In the Fourth Republic, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has won the Ablekuma North parliamentary election seven times, whereas the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has claimed the seat twice. Violence mars Ablekuma North rerun election Deputy Minister for Government Communications, Shamima Muslim, has condemned the recent attacks against civilians and journalists during the Ablekuma North election rerun today. Engaging the media over the matter, she said, “It is completely unwarranted.” “Government itself takes a very serious stance, especially on security agencies meting out unwarranted attacks to civilians under any circumstances,” she added.
President of the Ghana Journalist Association (GJA) Albert Kwabena Dwumfuor has also condemned the attack on journalists during the Ablekuma North rerun election.
At the Odorkor Methodist 1 polling station in the Ablekuma North constituency, some individuals engaged in a fistfight with the police personnel.
Also, a JoyNews journalist was slapped by an unknown individual. A journalist with GH One Television, Banahene Agyekum, was also slapped by a police officer.
The Ghana Police Service has interdicted one of its officers, Banahene Agyekum, who was caught on camera slapping a journalist from GH One Television during the rerun election at Ablekuma North.
In line with internal disciplinary procedures, he has been referred to the Police Professional Standards Bureau (PPSB) for investigation.
The officer concerned has been withdrawn from the ongoing election duty at Ablekuma North. The Police have assured the public that a thorough investigation will be conducted into the matter and further updates will be communicated.
The EC noted in July that it will hold a rerun election because the 19 scanned polling station results used for collation, although It is unknown what exactly transpired between the reporter and a group of police officers that led to him being slapped.
The Police officer’s action has been condemned by all, including the mayor of Accra, Michael Kpakpo Allotey, who witnessed the unfortunate incident.
In reaction to this incident, Shamima Muslim commended the police for its swift action to reprimand its officer for such unlawful acts.
“What we are happy about is the swift action that the Ghana Police itself has taken in interdicting the officer in question,” she said.
Engaging the media after the assault, Banahene Agyekum expressed distress and pain.
“Yes, (I won’t be able to continue work today) because my right eye is shaking and I don’t know what happened to my forehead. I have to go for a medical checkup,” he stated.
Former Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development and Member of Parliament for Ewutu Senya East Constituency, Hawa Koomson, was also assaulted by a group of men at the Ablekuma North rerun election.
Inspector General of Police Christian Tetteh Yohuno has visited some polling stations in the constituency following the chaos.
The Minister for the Interior, Mubarak Muntaka, has vowed to go after individuals who contributed to chaos during the Parliamentary rerun in the Ablekuma North constituency.
According to him, justice will be served regardless of the perpetrators’ political affiliation.
He pledged while addressing the media on Monday, July 14, as part of the ‘Government Accountability Series’ programme.
“I can assure you that not my party, not any group, will we sit and allow to see the resurgence of vigilantism. I have spoken to the IGP firmly about the happenings in the Ablekuma North.
Videos have been forwarded to him, and we have instructed him to act swiftly to bring the perpetrators to book.
“We’re not going to condone any actions by individuals within or outside our party going around to do the untoward. I can assure the public that we will ensure that under the leadership of H.E. John Dramani Mahama, no such group will be allowed to form,” he assured.
He urged security personnel who will be deployed to oversee the upcoming by-election in Akwatia constituency, Eastern Region, to remain alert while executing their duties.
The Minister for the Interior advised that they reflect on the recent violence that occurred during the parliamentary election rerun in the Ablekuma North constituency and work proactively to prevent a recurrence.
According to him, the government will work to ensure that such dramatic events do not repeat themselves in future elections.
“This is also a wake-up call for our security agencies to know that probably what happened [in Ablekuma North]…gives our security agencies the opportunity to even plan better towards Akwatia.
“All I can assure the people of Akwatia is that we will use Ablekuma North as a case study to review how we operate in Akwatia—to make sure that the citizens are free to cast their votes and express their will without fear or favour,” Muntaka added.
Reacting to the Ablekuma-North chaos, the Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO) has rated the Ghana Police Service’s performance at the just-ended Parliamentary election at the Ablekuma North Constituency as unsatisfactory.
The organization believes the police failed to execute their mandate despite their numbers.
Two executives of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) are expected to be investigated by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) in the coming days.
Mr. Yakubu Abanga and Mr. Joseph Yamin will be interrogated for their alleged involvement in illegal mining activities (galamsey).
As such, the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice have mandated EOCO to investigate the matter thoroughly to ensure accountability.
This was revealed in a letter by both authorities on Tuesday, July 15.
“I am directing your office to invite the following persons named in recent credible reports for interrogation, namely, Mr. Yakubu Abanga and Mr. Joseph Yamin.
“The scope of this investigation should include the matters highlighted in Prof Frimpong Boateng’s report on illegal mining,” parts of the letter read.
Joseph Yamin and Yakubu Abanga have been mentioned as alleged collaborators of a rogue anti-galamsey taskforce said to be targeting and harassing licensed miners.
The Ghana National Association of Small Scale Miners (GNASSM) reported persistent intimidation and extortion by an alleged task force.
Speaking to the media on Monday, June 30, the Ashanti Regional Secretary of the Association, Michael Adu-Gyamfi, said these individuals act in the guise of working with the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operation Secretariat.
“I have five zones under my jurisdiction. Each zone is a full district, and on some days, you can have three or four different teams showing up at a site, all claiming to be there for inspections”.
“Some say they’re from the national level, others from the region or district. This unregulated situation has led to intimidation and extortion of our members,” he added.
The government set up the National Anti-Galamsey Taskforce to tackle the menace of illegal mining.
Efforts by the task force are aimed at regulating the mining industry to ensure operations are both responsible and environmentally sustainable.
The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has revealed that over 500 arrests have been made from January to May this year in response to efforts to combat illegal mining, locally known as galamsey.
He attributed the achievement to the government’s renewed efforts.
According to him, the previous government faced challenges due to its inability to convict the suspects.
“From 2022 to 2024, out of 845 arrests we made, we couldn’t even prosecute. Only 35 were prosecuted, and that is 4%, and that is really the challenge we had to face,” he noted.
The government recently announced that it has reclaimed eight out of nine forest reserves that are known as no-go zones and controlled by illegal miners (galamseyers).
Speaking at the Global Mining Summit on Monday, June 2, President Mahama noted that the recent development marks a significant milestone in Ghana’s ongoing efforts to rehabilitate mined lands and foster sustainable mining practices.
“Let me be clear at this juncture: artisanal miners are not enemies of the state. If properly trained and supported, they can be allies in our development. Working together with the small-scale mining sector, we will reclaim our forest reserves and restore the purity of our water bodies,” the President said.
According to President John Dramani Mahama, the government plans to reclaim 10,000 hectares of mined-out lands from illegal mining activities.
The Ghana Police Service, in recent times, has embarked on several operations to crack down on illegal mining activities.
Its special Anti-Galamsey Taskforce seized more than 100 excavators, along with weapons, chanfang machines, bulldozers, and other illegal mining equipment.
The police’s efforts have also resulted in the arrest of numerous individuals who are undergoing legal proceedings.
Meanwhile, President John Dramani Mahama has announced that the government, in the coming days, will approve the importation of excavators except through a valid permit.
“We will track excavators to know whether they are being used for illegal mining. Ghana currently has more excavators than the rest of Africa combined. The new permitting regime will not allow you to import any excavator unless you have a valid permit to do so,” President Mahama stated.
A few months ago, the Lands and Natural Resources Minister, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, announced the rollout of a system to monitor excavator imports and usage, involving port tagging and digital tracking in partnership with several state agencies.
The third most valuable item imported into this country is excavators, and it is worth GHC6.2 billion, according to the sector minister.
The joint Military-Forestry Commission task force that conducted targeted operations in high-risk districts across the Ashanti, Western, and Western North Regions led to the seizure of 100 excavators, three bulldozers, and four vehicles.
Excavator owners and operators who have failed to register their machines with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) risk losing them to the state, as the government intensifies efforts to clamp down on illegal mining activities.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the DVLA, Julius Neequaye Kotey, issued the directive in Accra, warning that effective June 1, any excavator not registered with the DVLA will be confiscated.
Speaking at a press briefing, Mr. Kotey announced that the Ghana Police Service and the DVLA’s operational team will begin nationwide enforcement after the deadline, arresting and impounding excavators being used at mining sites or for commercial purposes without proper documentation.
“This exercise will help identify every excavator that enters the country and trace how it is being used. The goal is to ensure we can monitor and hold people accountable,” Mr. Kotey said.
The directive falls in line with Section 38 of the Road Traffic Act, 2004 (Act 683), which mandates the registration of all motor vehicles and trailers, including farm and heavy-duty equipment. Despite the law, the DVLA has found many unregistered excavators operating in mining areas, some of which have been used in illegal activities.
Mr. Kotey emphasized that the DVLA, with its 34 offices nationwide, has the capacity to register all excavators and farm machinery within the two-week period and is ready to strictly enforce the directive.
He stressed the environmental toll caused by unregulated excavator use in illegal mining, saying, “Excavators in the hands of illegal miners have worsened the destruction of our environment. This is why we must act.”
To further control the situation, the DVLA, in collaboration with key agencies like the Minerals Commission, National Security, the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), and the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), has started tagging all newly imported excavators.
In addition to tagging new imports, the Minerals Commission has been tasked to lead a team that will tag all excavators already in the country. Legal small-scale mining sites have also been geo-fenced, with their site coordinates integrated into the Ghana Mine Repository and Tracking software for better oversight.
The New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) 2024 parliamentary candidate for Ablekuma North, Nana Akua Afriyie, has disclosed that she has apologized to the party leadership for flouting their directive.
The party, ahead of the parliamentary rerun for the Ablekuma North constituency, announced its decision not to participate in the election.
Deputy General Secretary of the party, Haruna Mohammed, explained that contesting in the election will set a dangerous precedent and compromise future elections.
According to him, the decision not to participate in the election is not because the party fears defeat.
“Elections are elections; you can predict to win; you will never predict to lose. Opinions are opinions; everybody is entitled to his or her opinion. I cannot attack their opinion, but I can only prove my point to disagree with their opinion, and I disagree that we would lose – that is why we are not going.
“It will serve as a bad precedent and open a Pandora’s box. People who believe in hooliganism, who believe in taking the law into their own hands, will perpetuate injustice in the future, anticipating that the Electoral Commission will kowtow to their will,” he added.
Meanwhile, Ewurabena Aubynn of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has been declared MP-elect for Ablekuma North.
She polled 34,090 votes to beat the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Akua Afriyie, who secured 33,881 votes.
The Electoral Commission (EC) held a rerun election in 19 polling stations of the Ablekuma North to provide its constituents with a representative after the 2024 parliamentary elections on Friday, July 11.
After the 2024 polls, Ablekuma North remained the only constituency in Ghana without a sitting MP, due to unresolved disagreements over the outcome of the parliamentary vote.
On December 10, 2024, three days after the national polls, the EC declared Ewurabena Aubynn of the NDC the winner of the Ablekuma North parliamentary seat, defeating the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Nana Akua Owusu Afriyieh.
However, the EC later revoked the announcement, revealing that results from 62 of the 281 polling stations had not been included in the initial collation.
Efforts to restart the collation in January 2025 were disrupted by multiple challenges.
These included interruptions due to the submission of unverified pink sheets and a violent intrusion at the collation centre that heightened security concerns.
The Electoral Commission (EC), after extensive deliberations, in July noted that it will hold the rerun election because the 19 scanned polling station results used for the collation, though approved by agents of both political parties, were not verified by the presiding officers responsible for those polling stations.
The EC arrived at this decision after it met with the representatives of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and New Patriotic Party (NPP) on Tuesday, July 1.
The NDC now has 184 seats in Parliament with Aubynn’s victory, where has the NPP has 87 seats.
In the Fourth Republic, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has won the Ablekuma North parliamentary election seven times, whereas the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has claimed the seat twice.
Violence mars Ablekuma North rerun election
Deputy Minister for Government Communications, Shamima Muslim, has condemned the recent attacks against civilians and journalists during the Ablekuma North election rerun today.
Engaging the media over the matter, she said, “It is completely unwarranted.”
“Government itself takes a very serious stance especially on security agencies metting out unwarranted attacks to civilians under any circumstances,” she added.
President of the Ghana Journalist Association (GJA) Albert Kwabena Dwumfuor has alsp condemned the attack on journalists during the Ablekuma North rerun election.
At the Odorkor Methodist 1 polling station in the Ablekuma North constituency, some individuals engaged in a fisticuff with the police personnel. Also, a JoyNews journalist was slapped by an unknown individual.
A journalist with GH One Television, Banahene Agyekum, was also slapped by a police officer.
The Ghana Police Service has interdicted one of its officers who was caught on camera slapping a journalist with GH One Television, Banahene Agyekum, during the rerun election at Ablekuma North.
In line with internal disciplinary procedures, he has been referred to the Police Professional Standards Bureau (PPSB) for investigation.
The officer concerned has been withdrawn from the ongoing election duty at Ablekuma North.
The Police have assured the public that a thorough investigation will be conducted into the matter and further updates will be communicated.
It is unknown what exactly transpired between the reporter and a group of police officers that led to him being slapped.
The Police officer’s action has been condemned by all, including the mayor of Accra, Michael Kpakpo Allotey, who witnessed the unfortunate incident.
In reaction to this incident, Shamima Muslim commended the police for its swift action to reprimand its officer for such unlawful acts.
“What we are happy about is the swift action that the Ghana Police itself has taken in interdicting the officer in question,” she said.
Engaging the media after the assault, Banahene Agyekum expressed distress and pain.
“Yes, (I won’t be able to continue work today) because my right eye is shaking and I don’t know what happened to my forehead. I have to go for a medical checkup,” he stated.
Former Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development and Member of Parliament for Ewutu Senya East Constituency, Hawa Koomson, was also assaulted by a group of men at the Ablekuma North rerun election.
Per reports, the former legislator is receiving treatment at a health facility.
Due to the chaos that has erupted, Inspector General of Police Christian Tetteh Yohuno has visited some polling stations in the constituency.
Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress, Mustapha Gbande, has lashed out against critics within the New Patriotic Party, urging them to confront him directly rather than hiding behind unfounded allegations.
Mr Gbande was on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen show to debunk claims by the Minority Caucus in Parliament, led by Alexander Afenyo-Markin, that he and NDC Deputy National Communications Officer Malik Basintale incited chaos during the July 11 polls at Ablekuma.
He said, “I am not a coward. Even if my name appears on their list, I am not afraid of anyone in the NPP. If you want to come after me, do so directly. But don’t accuse me of something I haven’t done.”
The NDC Deputy General Secretary further chided the NPP for the hasty release of a statement that was not backed by fact.
“Administratively, you don’t rush to release statements without proper information. I showed the Minority Leader evidence that he was misled, but he still insisted on his claims,” Gbande stated.
He has also addressed a move by the NPP, circulating posters of NDC members with inscriptions reading “wanted, alive or dead.”
He warned the minority that they would be held responsible if anything happens to the boys whose posters are in circulation.
“If anything happens to any of our boys, we will hold the NPP responsible. Their party headquarters is not a police station,” he warned.
The Electoral Commission (EC) held an election in 19 polling stations of the Ablekuma North to provide its constituents with a representative after the 2024 parliamentary elections.
However, voting in two polling stations, the Odorkor Methodist 1 polling station and St. Peters polling station in the constituency, was suspended and later continued following chaos.
At the Odorkor Methodist 1 polling station in the Ablekuma North constituency, some individuals engaged in a fisticuff with the police personnel. Also, a JoyNews journalist was slapped by an unknown individual.
Former Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development and Member of Parliament for Ewutu Senya East Constituency, Hawa Koomson, was also assaulted by a group of men during the election.
In a video gone viral, a man lunged at Hawa Koomson, pushing her to the ground. Another person was seen kicking her.
The Police officers present intervened and prevented further attack against Hawa Koomson.
Meanwhile, the Ghana Police Service has interdicted one of its officers who was caught on camera slapping a journalist with GH One Television, Banahene Agyekum, during the rerun election at Ablekuma North.
In line with internal disciplinary procedures, he has been referred to the Police Professional Standards Bureau (PPSB) for investigation.
The officer concerned has been withdrawn from the ongoing election duty at Ablekuma North.
The Police have assured the public that a thorough investigation will be conducted into the matter and further updates will be communicated.
It is unknown what exactly transpired between the reporter and a group of police officers that led to him being slapped.
The Police officer’s action has been condemned by all, including the mayor of Accra, Michael Kpakpo Allotey, who witnessed the unfortunate incident.
Engaging the media after the assault, Banahene Agyekum expressed distress and pain.
“Yes, (I won’t be able to continue work today) because my right eye is shaking and I don’t know what happened to my forehead. I have to go for a medical checkup,” he stated.
The Electoral Commission (EC) is holding an election in 19 polling stations of the Ablekuma North to provide its constituents a representative after the 2024 parliamentary elections.
After the 2024 polls, Ablekuma North remained the only constituency in Ghana without a sitting MP, due to unresolved disagreements over the outcome of the parliamentary vote.
On December 10, 2024, three days after the national polls, the EC declared Ewurabena Aubynn of the NDC the winner of the Ablekuma North parliamentary seat, defeating the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Nana Akua Owusu Afriyieh.
However, the EC later revoked the announcement, revealing that results from 62 of the 281 polling stations had not been included in the initial collation.
Efforts to restart the collation in January 2025 were disrupted by multiple challenges.
These included interruptions due to the submission of unverified pink sheets and a violent intrusion at the collation centre that heightened security concerns.
The Electoral Commission (EC), after extensive deliberations, in July noted that it will hold the rerun election because the 19 scanned polling station results used for the collation, though approved by agents of both political parties, were not verified by the presiding officers responsible for those polling stations.
The EC arrived at this decision after it met with the representatives of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and New Patriotic Party (NPP) on Tuesday, July 1.
Ahead of today’s election, the EC called on the Ghana Police Service to provide the needed security to ensure a safe environment for the conduct of the election.
The Greater Accra Regional Director of Elections for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Joshua Alabi, has assured of a peaceful parliamentary rerun in Ablekuma North.
Joshua Alabi gave the assurance on Wednesday, July 9, during a media interview.
According to him, all election materials, as well as the Electoral Commission (EC) and security agencies, are being adequately prepared to ensure a smooth and peaceful rerun in Ablekuma North on Friday, July 11.
“There were security lapses in the last elections. The EC itself also failed to live up to its bidding in the last elections, but I believe they have done its homework. The security has also done their homework very well, so this time around, the tags we are going to use will have our names on them, which is one of the means too.
I am very much convinced that with the few I have seen on the ground, I don’t think we are going to have the lapses we experienced the last time. If we are able to be on the ground ourselves, we are part of the security, nothing untoward is going to happen, and it is only 19 polling stations. I don’t foresee any challenge. If there is one, the security will take care of them.”
The Electoral Commission (EC), after extensive deliberations, noted that it will hold the rerun election because the 19 scanned polling station results used for the collation, though approved by agents of both political parties, were not verified by the presiding officers responsible for those polling stations.
“It is instructive to note that, the Commission was able to secure the Presiding Officers’ verification and confirmation for 18 scanned polling station results—agents of both parties also approved same. A rerun will therefore not be held in those polling stations,” the Commission noted in a statement.
The EC arrived at this decision after it met with the representatives of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and New Patriotic Party (NPP) on Tuesday, July 1.
The meeting, which was a follow-up to an earlier meeting held on Thursday, 12th June, provided both parties the opportunity to brief the commission on any new developments regarding the said constituency.
The parties informed the Commission that their positions put forward at the last meeting remained unchanged.
The NDC held the view that the election should be rerun in thirty-seven (37) polling stations because scanned pink sheets from 37 polling stations, which were used to collate the results, were provided by the NPP.
The NPP was of the view that the results from three (3) outstanding polling stations be collated and a winner declared, since the NDC agents had verified and confirmed the scanned polling station results they presented.
Ablekuma North remains the only constituency in Ghana without a sitting MP, months after the 2024 general elections, due to unresolved disagreements over the outcome of the parliamentary vote.
On December 10, 2024, three days after the national polls, the EC declared Ewurabena Aubynn of the NDC the winner of the Ablekuma North parliamentary seat, defeating the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Nana Akua Owusu Afriyieh.
However, the EC later revoked the announcement, revealing that results from 62 of the 281 polling stations had not been included in the initial collation.
Efforts to restart the collation in January 2025 were disrupted by multiple challenges.
These included interruptions due to the submission of unverified pink sheets and a violent intrusion at the collation centre that heightened security concerns.
By January 6, only seven polling station results remained uncollated. Yet the process came to a standstill as the EC began engaging both major political parties in an attempt to break the deadlock.
Both the NPP and the NDC have declared victory in the December parliamentary elections.
The NPP maintains that its candidate, Nana Akua Afriyie, emerged the winner based on Electoral Commission figures, while the NDC insists that Ewurabena Aubyn was rightfully elected by the people.
Appearing before Parliament on Thursday, June 19, the Deputy Chairperson of the EC in charge of Corporate Affairs, Dr. Bossman noted the Commission will only resort to a re-run after all measures have been exhausted.
“So, for Ablekuma North, we have not reached the point where we will say we don’t have the results. When we try and we cannot get the results, that is when we will resort to the rerun. The rerun will be a last option,” he said.
Meanwhile, the EC has called on the Ghana Police Service to provide the needed security to ensure a safe environment for the conduct of the election.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament for Ketu North, Edem Agbana, is confident the party’s parliamentary candidate, Ewurabena Aubynn, will win the upcoming rerun election in Ablekuma North.
Speaking to the media on Saturday, July 5, the MP noted that the NDC will go to all lengths to secure victory for its candidate.
“We will go into the election without fear or favour. We have resumed the campaign, and we will go to every length to ensure that Ewurabena Aubynn, our candidate, is declared the winner, and she certainly will win the elections,” he said.
Nineteen out of the 37 polling stations in the Ablekuma North Constituency will undergo a rerun of the 2024 parliamentary elections.
This is because the 19 scanned polling station results used for the collation, though approved by agents of both political parties, were not verified by the presiding officers responsible for those polling stations.
The election will be held on Friday, July 11. The new development was announced by the Electoral Commission (EC) on Wednesday, July 2.
According to EC, the decision comes after extensive deliberations with the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and New Patriotic Party (NPP) on Tuesday, July 1.
“It is instructive to note that, the Commission was able to secure the Presiding Officers’ verification and confirmation for 18 scanned polling station results—agents of both parties also approved same. A rerun will therefore not be held in those polling stations,” the Commission noted in a statement.
Below is the list of polling stations:
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The meeting, which was a follow-up to an earlier meeting held on Thursday, 12th June, provided both parties the opportunity to brief the commission on any new developments regarding the said constituency.
The parties informed the Commission that their positions put forward at the last meeting remained unchanged.
The NDC held the view that the election should be rerun in thirty-seven (37) polling stations because scanned pink sheets from 37 polling stations, which were used to collate the results, were provided by the NPP.
The NPP was of the view that the results from three (3) outstanding polling stations be collated and a winner declared, since the NDC agents had verified and confirmed the scanned polling station results they presented.
Ablekuma North remains the only constituency in Ghana without a sitting MP, months after the 2024 general elections, due to unresolved disagreements over the outcome of the parliamentary vote.
On December 10, 2024, three days after the national polls, the EC declared Ewurabena Aubynn of the NDC the winner of the Ablekuma North parliamentary seat, defeating the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Nana Akua Owusu Afriyieh.
However, the EC later revoked the announcement, revealing that results from 62 of the 281 polling stations had not been included in the initial collation.
Efforts to restart the collation in January 2025 were disrupted by multiple challenges.
These included interruptions due to the submission of unverified pink sheets and a violent intrusion at the collation centre that heightened security concerns.
By January 6, only seven polling station results remained uncollated. Yet the process came to a standstill as the EC began engaging both major political parties in an attempt to break the deadlock.
Both the NPP and the NDC have declared victory in the December parliamentary elections.
The NPP maintains that its candidate, Nana Akua Afriyie, emerged the winner based on Electoral Commission figures, while the NDC insists that Ewurabena Aubyn was rightfully elected by the people.
Appearing before Parliament on Thursday, June 19, the Deputy Chairperson of the EC in charge of Corporate Affairs, Dr. Bossman noted the Commission will only resort to a re-run after all measures have been exhausted.
“So, for Ablekuma North, we have not reached the point where we will say we don’t have the results. When we try and we cannot get the results, that is when we will resort to the rerun. The rerun will be a last option,” he said.
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), COP Christian Tetteh Yohuno, warned that the continued delay poses a serious threat to Ghana’s democratic reputation and the integrity of its electoral system.
He cautioned that how the dispute is handled will shape public trust in Ghana’s electoral processes well beyond the current cycle.
“This is a pivotal moment. The way we handle the collation in Ablekuma North will resonate across the country. It will set the tone, not only for this election, but also for public confidence in the years to come,” Dr. Yohuno stated.
Meanwhile, the EC has called on the Ghana Police Service to provide the needed security to ensure a safe environment for the conduct of the election.
Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), Sammy Gyamfi, has insisted that the cedi appreciating against the dollar is due to the National Democratic Congress’ (NDC) deliberate policies.
In a Facebook post on Wednesday, May 20, Sammy Gyamfi outlined a stringent monetary policy stance, fiscal consolidation by the Ministry of Finance, and robust forex inflows and accelerated foreign reserve accumulation as factors influencing the cedi’s stability.
His remark is a response to a recent statement by former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia. Speaking at an event, Dr. Bawumia emphasized that the NDC administration’s policies are not influencing the cedi positively.
“If you are to ask the NDC to point out exactly what policy they have implemented that has resulted in the appreciation of the cedi.
“They cannot tell you one that has been implemented, not sort of talked about, but actually implemented.They cannot tell you one such policy,” the former Vice President said.
Minister for Finance Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson has also cited stringent monetary policy, complemented by aggressive liquidity sterilization, and disciplined fiscal stance anchored around prudent public finance management as factors being the cedi’s appreciation.
“In fact, our foreign exchange reserves at the Bank of Ghana reached a record high in April 2025, surpassing targets set under the IMF-supported programme ahead of schedule,” he added.
Bolstering these efforts, he said, included “enhanced foreign exchange inflows from gold, cocoa, and remittances, alongside a softening US dollar amid global uncertainties.”
According to Forbes, the dollar has depreciated by 8% in 2025, whereas gold prices have hiked by 23%.
This has been reported as investors seek safe-haven assets. They “have significantly driven the strength of the Ghana cedi,” the sector minister confirmed.
The average interbank rates used by commercial banks for transactions at the close of business, May 20, show the US dollar buying at GH₵12.09 and selling at GH₵12.10.
The British pound is buying at GH₵16.16 and selling at GH₵16.18. The euro is currently being bought at GH₵13.61 and sold at GH₵13.62.
Member of Parliament for Walewale and a member of Parliament’s Finance Committee, Dr. Kabiru Tia-Mahama, says the least punishment President Mahama can give acting Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board, Sammy Gyamfi.
His comments follows the Gold Board boss’ feature in a viral video where he was captured gifting $2000 to dollar notes to controversial fetish priestess-turned-preacher, Nana Agradaa.
Given the current government’s position on discipline and good conduct on the part of government appointees, suspending Sammy Gyamfi would be a weak response from the Mahama led government.
“I think that’s the least that can happen to him,” he stated. “I think it’s the least, considering the gravity of what he has done.”
Meanwhile, the footage has sparked wide public outrage both within and outside the National Democratic Congress (NDC), with some party members such as Member of Parliament for Kumbungu callingh for disciplinary action against Sammy Gyamfi.
The Minority on the other hand have strongly slammed the CEO’s gesture as a violation of the Code of Conduct, the Forex Exchange Act, and the Currency Act.
They insist that Sammy Gyamfi cannot pretend to be ignorant of the law and the repurcussions of his actions; suggesting a full investigation into the source of the money in the video.
Sammy Gyamfi has apologised for his action stating that his intention was purely charitable citing he regrets the circulation of the video.
The NDC is yet to release an official statement on the matter.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has demanded that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) provide solid evidence to back their claims that President John Dramani Mahama was behind the petition to remove Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo.
This follows accusations made by the former General Secretary of the NPP, John Boadu, who suggested that President Mahama personally wrote the petition in an attempt to replace the Chief Justice.
In an interview with Citi News on Tuesday, May 6, Dr. Rashid Tanko-Computer, the NDC’s Deputy Director of Elections and IT, rejected the allegations, calling them unfounded.
He also commented on the NPP’s recent electoral loss, suggesting that the party’s disorientation and frustration were the reasons behind such baseless claims.
He further pointed out that Prof. Kwaku Ansah’s petition to remove the Chief Justice was also a matter of interest and questioned whether that petition had been authored by Nana Akufo-Addo as well.
“In that case, they are telling us something we don’t know. And that is, when they were in power, all the petitions that Nana Akufo-Addo received, were drafted at the Flagstaff House, or written by him. Maybe they are revealing what they were doing.
“In any case, then Prof Kwaku Ansah, wrote a petition seeking the removal of the chief justice, was that written by Nana Akufo-Addo?
“You see because they lost, it has affected their thinking capabilities. So, they just open their mouth and anything that comes out doesn’t make sense to anybody,” he stated.
Member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) communication team, Hamza Suhuyini, has described President John Dramani Mahama as a leader committed to building a legacy rooted in purpose, integrity, and widespread respect even from his political rivals.
Speaking during an interview on Breakfast Daily on Channel One TV, Suhuyini emphasized that President Mahama is driven by a clear vision to serve the Ghanaian people with humility and dedication.
According to him, Mahama’s character and leadership style are widely admired, including by leading figures within the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
“Thankfully, we have a president in the name of President John Dramani Mahama, whom even leading members of the NPP respect for his intelligence, emotional composure, and trustworthy nature,” Suhuyini stated.
His remarks came ahead of a national address to be delivered by President Mahama on Wednesday, May 7. The address is expected to provide updates on the government’s achievements under the 120-day social contract.
While acknowledging that no administration can completely resolve every national issue within 120 days, Suhuyini stressed that President Mahama remains committed to fulfilling his promises and improving the lives of ordinary Ghanaians.
“I can assure you, the people of Ghana, that unlike them, we are not saying that we will resolve all the problems and matters in 120 days, but we can assure them that we are dealing with a leader who is committed to leaving a legacy. So he will do everything in his power to meet the aspirations of the Ghanaian people,” he noted.
Suhuyini also took a jab at the opposition NPP, accusing the party of gross incompetence and internal confusion. He claimed that even in opposition, the NPP’s lack of effective leadership is clear.
“Even in opposition, they are legendary incompetent, and that is staring all of us in the face. Even the internal management of their party activities, which we haven’t seen in the past few days? That tells you the kind of incompetence that presided over the Republic of Ghana, the kind of arrogance and vigilantism that was injected into our body politic,” he argued.
He further pointed to recent policy changes by the Mahama administration, including the removal of the Electronic Transfer Levy (E-Levy), the Betting Tax, and the Emissions Levy, as part of a broader plan to ease the financial pressures on Ghanaians and create a more compassionate and responsive government.
A group of aggrieved supporters of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Asante Mampong Constituency of the Ashanti Region stormed the party’s office on Thursday, April 10, vandalizing property and setting items ablaze outside the premises.
The irate youth claimed they had received information suggesting that Esther Dwomoh had been nominated for the position of Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), even though there had been no official communication from the Presidency.
According to the protesters, they were upset because they believed that the 2024 Parliamentary Candidate, Yakubu Yakubu, along with two other individuals, had been promised the opportunity to make recommendations for the MCE role.
They alleged that the nomination of Esther Dwomoh was not reflective of the will of the grassroots members and accused party leadership of sidelining them in the decision-making process.
The situation led to significant damage to party property, with office equipment destroyed and party banners torn down. Eyewitnesses reported that security personnel later arrived at the scene to restore calm.
Party executives in the constituency have condemned the actions and called for dialogue to address the concerns raised by the supporters. Meanwhile, the NDC’s regional leadership has initiated steps to engage both the local executives and the aggrieved members to prevent further escalation.
The Presidency has yet to officially comment on the nomination for the Asante Mampong Municipal Chief Executive position.
A fire tore through the National Democratic Congress (NDC) constituency office in Talensi, Upper East Region, at about 2:30 a.m. on Saturday, April 5.
The blaze came just hours after John Millim Naabwomya was announced as the party’s nominee for District Chief Executive (DCE).
Eyewitnesses believe the timing of the attack is no coincidence, pointing to growing unrest among some party supporters over Naabwomya’s nomination. Detractors argue that he lacks grassroots support and accuse the party of selecting him based on his perceived loyalty to the Paramount Chief of Talensi, Tongraan Nanlebegtang Kugbilsong.
Further controversy surrounds Naabwomya’s alleged ties to Chinese mining companies. Some residents worry his leadership could prioritize foreign mining interests at the expense of local communities.
Opposition to his nomination had already been formally documented in January 2025, when a petition was submitted to the NDC’s regional leadership. The identities of those behind the arson remain unknown.
Volta Regional Secretariat of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has announced the deployment of 180 officers from the region as temporary personnel for the National Security Council Secretariat.
In a statement dated March 28, 2025, and signed by Acting Regional Secretary Bright Kwashie Ege, the NDC disclosed that ten individuals from each constituency in the region had been selected for the role.
Their appointments will officially take effect on Wednesday, April 2, 2025.
The statement emphasized that the newly appointed officers would be responsible for gathering intelligence and reporting potential threats to peace and security within their respective constituencies.
The party congratulated the selected officers and encouraged them to demonstrate competence and dedication in their roles. Additionally, plans are in place for the Volta Regional Minister to provide an orientation and necessary support to aid them in their duties.
This initiative is viewed as part of a broader strategy to enhance national security through localized intelligence gathering.
Gospel musician Grace Ashly has expressed her belief that Ghana’s national football team, the Black Stars, performs better under National Democratic Congress (NDC) administrations.
Speaking in an interview with Nana Romeo, the singer, known for her patriotic football anthems, highlighted her preference for the NDC’s leadership when it comes to sports development in Ghana.
“When the NDC is in government, many aspects of life in Ghana, especially in sports, tend to improve. Also, I have the freedom to pursue my goals for the Black Stars when the NDC is in power. Let’s pray for the NDC’s success,” she said.
Grace Ashly, who has composed several songs for the Black Stars, also reaffirmed her readiness to contribute more to the national team if given the chance.
“I am always ready to do more songs for the Black Stars if I am given the opportunity by the leaders,” she added.
The gospel singer has played a major role in boosting national team spirit with her music. Her 2014 World Cup song, Yenie, was widely embraced by football fans and became a nationwide hit.
Her comments have sparked debate, with some sports fans supporting her stance, while others argue that football success is not tied to political leadership.
Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has emphasized the need for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to be an active and vocal opposition, ensuring that the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) is held accountable.
Speaking on The KSM Show, the Effutu legislator acknowledged that the NPP’s defeat in the 2024 elections was a major setback, but he insisted that the party must remain resilient and strategically position itself for the future.
Reflecting on the election outcome, he admitted that the party had anticipated a stronger showing in Parliament, expecting to win between 100 and 130 seats. Instead, they managed only 61 seats—their worst parliamentary performance since 1997. Afenyo-Markin attributed this decline partly to a loss of support from the middle class and the youth, particularly due to dissatisfaction with the controversial Debt Exchange Program (DDE), which affected investors.
“We expected to win, but we didn’t. Even in Parliament, our performance was not what we anticipated,” he conceded. “The middle class, which is our base, does investments, and they lost out. Many were angry with us and decided not to vote at all.”
With the party yet to settle on a new leadership ahead of the 2028 elections, Afenyo-Markin believes Parliament remains the NPP’s strongest platform to stay relevant and engage with the electorate. He warned against complacency, stressing that the party must take an aggressive stance in opposition.
“But for the time being, the party base must be active. We need to hold the feet of the NDC to the fire, and I have to play my role as the minority,” he stated firmly.
Addressing concerns over his confrontational approach in Parliament, Afenyo-Markin defended his style, arguing that it is necessary to match the strength of the NDC’s parliamentary leadership. He noted that without a robust pushback, the NPP would struggle to counter the ruling party’s influence.
As the NPP navigates its path in opposition, Afenyo-Markin remains committed to revitalizing the party’s base while ensuring that the government is held to account. He believes that maintaining a strong parliamentary presence is crucial in shaping the party’s future and rebuilding public confidence.
Ghanaian television personality Wofa K has made a surprise reappearance, stirring nostalgia among many Ghanaians.
Recognized for his bald head and signature hat, Wofa K rose to fame during the 2012 general elections when his phrase ‘Ede Be Kɛkɛ’ became a nationwide sensation.
A viral video shows the entertainer recreating the slogan, complete with his signature mouth twist, rekindling fond memories. Social media users have since expressed excitement over his return, with many wondering about his long absence.
Originally a tagline for telecom giant MTN, ‘Ede Be Kɛkɛ’ became synonymous with the National Democratic Congress (NDC) when former President John Dramani Mahama’s campaign adopted it in 2012.
The phrase dominated political discussions, rallies, and speeches, cementing Wofa K’s place in Ghana’s political history.
Beyond that, Wofa K was also credited with the phrase ‘No Abaabasɛ’, which gained traction during the NDC’s 2016 manifesto launch.
His resurfacing has left many questioning why he vanished from the spotlight and whether he plans to make a full comeback.
The Minority in Parliament has raised concerns about a possible increase in electricity bills every three months under the current government.
Speaking at a press briefing on March 13, 2025, to respond to the 2025 budget, they criticized the government for not addressing the issue of rising electricity costs in its budget presentation.
According to the Minority, electricity tariffs will be reviewed every three months, and the government has not introduced any measures to ease the financial burden on citizens.
“Unfortunately, these issues were not addressed in the economic policy. Those who were hoping for efforts to halt further increases in electricity bills were disappointed to learn that electricity prices would instead be adjusted every quarter. This quarterly adjustment, with no policy intervention from the NDC government, will result in an increase in electricity tariffs every quarter,” they stated.
The Minority NPP MPs further disclosed that the government had removed subsidies on gas prices, which they argued would contribute to a rise in the base rate and an overall increase in energy prices.
They criticized the government for failing to provide alternatives to mitigate the impact of rising electricity tariffs.
“Worse still, the government has secretly removed subsidies on gas prices, thereby increasing the weighted average cost of gas from $7.8 to $8.4 per MMBtu. This means that not only will energy prices rise, but they will do so at a higher base rate from now on. There is no hope of resetting energy pricing,” they added.
The Minister of Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, presented the 2025 budget in Parliament on March 11, 2025.
Former Finance Minister Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam has criticized the government for setting up the Ghana Gold Board (GOLDBOD), alleging it is a scheme to siphon public funds.
Dr. Amin Adam contends that the GH₵270 million earmarked for GOLDBOD is unjustifiable, asserting that it is a calculated move to channel Ghana’s gold wealth into the hands of a privileged few within the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC).
His comments come in response to Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson’s budget presentation on Tuesday, March 11, where he announced financial support for the yet-to-be-launched GOLDBOD.
The former minister argued that past gold purchasing initiatives, including the Gold-for-Oil policy, operated without direct government funding. Instead, these programs relied on a revolving fund managed by the Bank of Ghana, avoiding the use of taxpayer money.
He warned that shifting the financial responsibility of GOLDBOD onto taxpayers could have significant economic consequences, stressing that such a move threatens the long-term management of Ghana’s natural resources.
“We have never funded the gold purchase programme or gold-for-oil programme from the budget. It never happened and so to fund the GOLDBOD from the budget, in our view, is just to put in money to be benefited by NDC cronies. It is to create, loot and share.
“The Bank of Ghana was funding the gold purchase programme from a revolving fund and therefore it did not affect the taxpayer. Now you have a GOLDBOD which is going to rely on the taxpayer and we think that this creates loot and share and we will resist it.”
Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson has pledged that the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) government will fix the “economic crisis” inherited from the Akufo-Addo administration.
Presenting the much-anticipated 2025 Budget Statement to Parliament on Tuesday, Dr. Forson revealed that the Mahama administration has already initiated bold measures to restore Ghana’s economy.
He emphasized that the government will tackle the crisis with a commitment to sacrifice, discipline, and transparency, ensuring a responsible approach to economic recovery.
Dr. Forson assured that the revitalization efforts will begin within the government, with all stakeholders playing a role in rebuilding the nation’s financial stability.
“RT Honorable Speaker it is what it is, the state of our economy is troubling but we will fix it.We will fix it but Mr Speaker it will require some sacrifices, truthfulness, transparency and discipline. We will take strong measures to confront the situation head on. The sacrifice must come from all stakeholders beginning with the government.
According to him, the economy is in a dire state due to excessive debt, financial sector obligations, and unchecked expenditures by the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP).
“Mr Speaker hands on heart we inherited an economy in deep crisis, Mr Speaker, an economy had hit with debt,.. and financial sector payments. Re-commitment control and reckless spending have reversed the progress made in physical consolidation even under the IMF programme that commenced in the year 2023.
Despite the measures introduced under the IMF-supported programme, the Finance Minister noted that economic distress persists. He attributed this to the heavy sacrifices made by domestic bondholders, external creditors, and taxpayers, emphasizing that the nation is still grappling with the consequences of past mismanagement.
“Mr Speaker notwithstanding the gains made under the IMF supported programme that was to achieve through the painful sacrifice of Domestic Bondholders external creditors and taxpayers the economy remains in distress,” he added.
National Youth Organiser of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Salam Mustapha, has cautioned that the party will embark on a series of protests if the John Dramani Mahama-led government fails to fulfill its 120-day social contract with Ghanaians.
In an interview on Peace FM, on Monday, March 10, 2025, Mustapha underscored the importance of honesty and transparency in governance, stressing that political leaders must be held accountable for their promises.
“We (NPP) will hold the NDC to account, if they fail to deliver on their 120-day social contract to Ghanaians. The principles of democracy don’t allow deceiving electorates. The NPP will keenly monitor the budget presentation. We will take copious notes, if within 120 days, they fail to deliver, we will take action. We will stage series of demonstrations at the Jubilee House,” he noted.
Salam Mustapha further noted that a number of Ghanaians have lost trust in politicians due to the persistent politics of lies and deceit.
“Political parties cannot win elections by lying. If politicians deceive the electorates, it erodes trust, which could signal the beginning of the end of the Fourth republican dispensation if we allow such practices,” he added.
Among the major promises to be fulfilled within President John Dramani Mahama’s first 120 days include the scrapping the Election Transfer Levy(E-Levy) and the betting tax.
Government officials on a fact-finding mission to assess the impact of illegal mining (galamsey) met intense resistance in parts of the Western and Central regions as they moved to seize and disable mining equipment.
The team, tasked with addressing environmental destruction caused by galamsey, encountered hostility from both illegal miners and certain members of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC).
As part of their operation, officials targeted heavily affected areas, confiscating excavators, generators, and pumping machines. Changfan machines were also destroyed at mining sites in Anwia (near Nkroful), Prestea, and Dunkwa.
In Dunkwa, the situation became volatile when the NDC Constituency Chairman, along with a group of miners and residents, confronted the team.
Objecting to the raid, the chairman claimed that local authorities had not been consulted before the operation commenced.
Anger spread among illegal miners working along the Offin River, leading to roadblocks and threats of direct confrontation with the security personnel assigned to the mission.
In Anwia, severe destruction was evident—roads lay in ruins, and concrete storm drains were on the verge of collapse due to unregulated mining activities.
In response, the government team dismantled equipment and burned down makeshift mining camps.
Nkroful witnessed a similar crackdown, with officials seizing multiple pumps and generators from a mining site behind a technical school.
In the Upper Denkyira East District, particularly in Baduwa No.2, mining along the Offin River had caused extensive environmental damage. Residents voiced their frustrations, blaming the authorities for failing to curb illegal operations that contributed to frequent flooding and the destruction of farmlands.
Further tension arose when aerial surveillance over Dunkwa revealed a large illegal excavation perilously close to the town’s main bridge. As the team assessed the site, a crowd gathered, growing increasingly agitated. Protesters demanded an immediate withdrawal, leading to a tense standoff with security forces near the bridge.
Despite the resistance, the advisory team, led by Rear Admiral (Rtd) Moses Beick-Baffour, remains focused on its mission to shape government policy on illegal mining and strengthen future enforcement measures.
The latest clashes reflect the growing political and social divisions surrounding the government’s crackdown on galamsey, raising pressing concerns about governance, local complicity, and the enforcement of environmental laws in Ghana.
The Minority New Patriotic Party (NPP) has delivered what it calls the “True State of the Nation” address, challenging the accuracy of President John Dramani Mahama’s recent presentation to Parliament.
According to the Minority caucus, the President’s address did not reflect the true state of affairs in the country.
Below is the full speech delivered by former Finance Minister, Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam.
THE TRUE STATE OF THE NATION ADDRESS BY THE NPP MINORITY CAUCUS IN PARLIAMENT AT PARLIAMENT HOUSE 3RD MARCH 2025
1.0. INTRODUCTION
Friends of the Media fraternity, Ladies and Gentlemen, fellow citizens. Today is an important day in our political history as we the Mighty Minority is here to present The True State of the Nation, following the President’s presentation of the “False State of the Nation” to Parliament last Thursday, 27th February 2025. It is our hope that this will entrench our democracy by providing factual information on the state of our nation to the Ghanaian people, who are better placed to judge over the handling of the affairs of our country. One would have appreciated a True State of the Nation that acknowledged challenges in 2022, the remarkable turnaround as a result of the decisive policies of the NPP government, supported by the IMF, and the challenges still remaining that will require steadfastness from the new government. And, when this is backed by a clarion call by the President to Ghanaians to support him and his new government to consolidate the gains, you would have had consensus across the political divide to drive the building- back-better agenda for Ghana. But what did we get from the President? Rather he chose to do propaganda, and we can assure you that this propaganda will come to hit and hurt him hard.
2.0. ASESSMENT OF ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE President Mahama accused the previous government of ending the year with a headline inflation of 3.8% above the IMF target of 18%. This divergence, the President indicated, showed a poor performance of monetary policy. Isn’t this the typical story of the glass being either “half empty or half full? If one looks at the fact that the COVID and Russia-Ukraine war crisis driven inflation rose to 54% at the end of 2022 and dropped sharply to 23% at the end of 2023 (within 12 months), then a headline inflation of 23% should be seen as a significant positive performance. Of course, not at the medium-term target yet, but the disinflation process is on track. It is also instructive to note that the IMF has an upper band of 22% for inflation for December 2024. This suggests a rather marginal deviation compared to the programme target, contrary to what President Mahama wants us to believe. If such a marginal deviation from the disinflation path is bad, then the President is the worst culprit when his last Government deviated from an inflation target of 10.1% in 2016, by recording 15.4% at the end of December 2016.
For those who are familiar with Ghana’s programme with the IMF, these minor deviations from the programme targets are sometimes normal because we are dealing with a very uncertain economic environment, and deviations like these can always be explained when one analyzes the data. Per the rules of the programme, we will need to enter into consultations with the Fund as provided by the consultation clause so that both the government and the Fund can assess what went wrong and see the way forward. President Mahama has shot himself in the foot by his rush to paint this situation as bad; and soon, we will see how he recovers from this.
What the President also failed to do was to inform the people of Ghana that there are other significant measures of the performance of the economy that informs the state of the nation other than inflation alone. – real GDP growth, trade balance, current account balance and international reserves, the performance of the financial sector, among others. These are the important components of an economy – the real sector, external sector and the financial sector.
The average growth in real GDP for the first three quarters of 2024 was 6.4% and expected to end the year at a rate above the IMF target of 4%. This trend outperformed all projections and revised projections by both the IMF and the World Bank. If this is bad by President Mahama’s standard, see the President’s previous record – In 2016, the economy grew by 3.4% below a target of 5.4%. It was 4% the year before. He underperformed by all standards, whilst President Akufo-Addo over-performed.
The trade balance also shows a significant economic improvement maintaining a surplus trend since 2017 ending 2024 with a surplus of 5.9% of GDP. If this is bad economy; let’s, consider President Mahama’s record of a deficit of 2% of GDP in 2016. The current account balance also ended 2024 with a surplus of 4.2% of GDP (the very few times in recent history to have a surplus current account). And such a surplus tells us of the strength of the external payments position of the country. Throughout the history of when President Mahama was in office, and without any confluence of crisis as faced by the previous government, the current account was consistently in deficit, and he ended 2016 with a deficit of 3.1% of GDP. Gross international reserves measure the resilience of the economy particularly in times of crises, and how prepared the country is to weather external shocks and vulnerabilities. The Bank of Ghana has through novel innovations, accumulated high levels of reserves, the largest in our history with $8.9 billion. This is 4 months of import cover. The NDC left office in 2016 with gross international reserves of $6.2 billion or 3.5 months of import cover.
Ladies and gentlemen, the true state of our nation is that economic growth has rebounded strongly, the external sector is impressive and our resilience towards shocks and external vulnerabilities is at all-time high. This is the true state of our economy, but the President and his government has a different understanding of what a strong economy means.
3.0. THE CONTEXT OF INFLATION AND EXCHANGE RATES
President Mahama again cited the headline inflation of 23.8% and the 19% rate of depreciation of the cedi for 2024, as indicators of a badly managed economy. It is important to provide context to this. Following the COVID-19 and supply shocks globally, prices of food and other essentials increased substantially. Even in the advanced countries, inflation averaged 7%, very high for countries that are used to 1% or less inflation.
The causes of this rise in inflation globally were not far-fetched. For example, COVID-19 slowed down the world economy due to lockdowns and the closure of factories and offices including major port facilities across the World; and this adversely impacted global supply chains. Also, many countries implemented fiscal stimulus to revive economic activity. However, faced with supply constraints, the increased demand resulting from the fiscal stimulus led to higher inflation.
To control inflation, the Central Banks of many countries led by the advanced economies resorted to monetary tightening by increasing rates. This led to significant investment reversals from small open economies like Ghana, weakening our currency, and fueling the rise in inflation. This together with imported inflation pushed Ghana’s inflation sharply to 54% by the end of 2022.
The current rate of 23% therefore means that inflation was halved within a year; and we were working to bring it further down to the pre-COVID level of 8(+-2%) by 2026. Whilst 23% is still high, the effort to bring it down from 54% has been significant.
It must be noted that before COVID-19 struck the World, the NPP demonstrated a record in inflation management. We brought inflation down from 15.4% in 2016 to 11.8% in 2017; 9.4% in 2018, 7.9% in 2019. Inflation for two successive years remained a single digit, the longest period in our recent economic history. The effect of the pandemic began to be felt from 2020 when inflation rose to 10.4% in 2020, 12.6% in 2021, and then to 54% at the peak of the global economic crisis in 2022.
Even laymen can understand this. How the current managers of the economy cannot understand this can only be borne out of political dishonesty. The adverse circumstances the NPP administration faced were unprecedented and such did not exist when President Mahama’s government achieved headline inflation of 15.4% above the target of 10.1% in 2016.
We know that there is an inverse relationship between inflation and the strength of a currency. A higher depreciation of the currency will automatically passthrough to inflation in developing economies like Ghana. This means that inflation will also be higher, and the reverse also holds. Therefore, following the sharp depreciation of the cedi in 2022 by 50%, inflation was also going to rise sharply. This strong pass-through would naturally be a major challenge for the managers of the economy. By reducing the rate of depreciation to 19% in 2024, we have seen the muting of the passthrough to inflation and these efforts cannot be glossed over.
These efforts by the previous administration and the favorable results produced should be appreciated by President Mahama and improved for even better outcomes for our people. These effective efforts should not be disregarded and belittled for political reasons. As a country, we gain nothing by this kind of politics.
It is important to note that the rate of 6.5% depreciation we have witnessed year to date in 2025 is not informed by any sustainable strategies by the current government. The current disparity between inflation and the rate of depreciation is evidence of heavy Central Bank intervention on the market.
The Mahama administration and the Central Bank can do that; but this is happening only because the previous administration left a gross international reserve of $8.9 billion by the end of 2024, which is being used to shore up the value of the Cedi. The President deliberately avoided this in his statement.
Fellow Ghanaians, the true state of the Nation is that exchange rate stability which we saw before the end of 2024, and which has continued into the first quarter is not by any magic from the Mahama government. It is because the Akufo-Addo government left significant levels of international reserves.
4.0. FINANCIAL BUFFERS TO SUPPORT THE ECONOMY
In addressing the issue of buffers created to support expenditure and maturing debt obligations, the President focused on the Sinking Fund as if it is the only source of buffers. The Sinking Fund is just one of our buffers. At each point in time, the government designates some accounts for buffer and for purposes of special payments. In the last eight years, such accounts included the Sinking Fund (both Dollar and Cedi Accounts), the Eurobond Proceeds Account, the IMF Proceeds Account and the Treasury MAIN 2 Account.
For Example, the IMF third review disbursement of $360 million was done on 2nd December 2024 but this was kept as buffer, part of which was used to pay coupons amounting to $346 million to Eurobond holders on 3rd January 2025. This was not done from the Sinking Fund.
Similarly in October 2024 we paid $520 million to our Eurobonds holders for the first coupons and other fees, but again this was not done from the Sinking Fund. How could we have made these payments if we didn’t have buffers?
The NPP also left significant amount of buffers, more than GHS5 billion, from end 2024 revenue collected by GRA, in the Treasury Main 2 Accounts, which the new Government has used.
5.0. FINANCIAL SECTOR PERFORMANCE
On the financial sector, the President again played to the gallery by stating that: “The financial sector continues to struggle despite the previous government reportedly spending GHS29.9 billion on the financial sector clean-up exercise to date”.
Typical of NDC’s usual sweeping statements, he made this conclusion without providing any basis. Whilst we sympathize with those who were adversely affected by the financial sector cleanup, the exercise was well intended – to protect the banking industry from collapse, protect depositors’ money and revive the economy.
The evidence today shows that notwithstanding the DDEP effects on the local Banks, the financial sector has become stronger, with banks posting impressive financial ratios and returned to profitability. This is the true state of the financial sector in Ghana.
The Bank of Ghana’s recent publication “Summary of Economic and Financial Data, January, 2025” provides very rich information about the performance of the financial sector. The annual growth in Total Assets of the financial sector as at the end of 2024 was 33.8%; and Total Deposits by 28.8%. Similarly, in terms of liquidity, core liquid assets to short-term liabilities grew by 46.3%.
The Capital market shows similar strong performance with the GSE All Share Index Year to Date growing by 56.2% by December 2024. The earnings and profitability ratios also show that Return on Asset before Tax recorded an annual growth of 5.4% in December 2023 and 5% in December 2024; whilst Return on Equity after tax grew at 34.2% in December 2023 and 30.8% in December 2024. It is no secret that the strength of an economy is also determined by the strength of its financial sector. Given the record of performance of our financial sector under the NPP administration, is this correct for such an economy to be described as badly managed?
ladies and gentlemen, you can now understand that all the main components of our economy are in ood shape – the real sector as demonstrated in real GDP growth, the external sector showing impressive external positions through trade and current account surpluses; and the performance of the financial sector posting impressive financial ratios.
Therefore, we need to ask President Mahama – How did he come by the conclusion that the economy was mismanaged?
6.0. DEBT MANAGEMENT
The President tried to scare the Ghanaian people about the country’s debt service obligations for the next four years, which according to him will amount to GHS280 billion, comprising GHS150 billion for domestic and GHS130 billion in external debt servicing. Government at every time provides for debt servicing obligations; and the President is aware of this. We expect the President to mobilize the funds as every Government in Ghana has done to service our debts. The NPP did that when he left us with debts in 2017.
Our debt management strategy has ensured that Ghana’s debt levels have decreased substantially, and so are our debt service, taking a significant burden off the government. We have ensured that through strong negotiations, the servicing of Ghana’s debts owed to our official bilateral creditors ($5.4 billion) has been rescheduled until after 2016. The NDC government didn’t negotiate this.
The Agreement we reached with the Official Creditors Committee for Ghana entails a rescheduling of all debt service (principal & interest) falling due between 20th December 2023 to 31st December 2026. As a result, no debt service under bilateral debt will be paid until after 2026, including the debt we didn’t pay in 2023 since we declared the debt stand still.
The rescheduled amounts are expected to be repaid in two instalments, respectively 16 and 17 years after their contractual due date. Delays in payments will be compensated for by interest accruing on the amounts, at concessional rates ranging between 1 percent and 3 percent. This offer applies to all our official bilateral creditors and ECA-backed facilities signed and disbursed before end-2022. This no doubt provides briefing space for the current government.
In addition, the debt service relief from this negotiation stands at $2.8 billion, which the Government of Ghana would have paid, but which now stands as savings to the country.
Even with such a great work done by the NPP government, the President could not acknowledge it. Rather, he sought to take unearned credit for it when he stated in his address:
“We signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with our Official Creditor Committee (OCC) to formalize the debt treatment agreed upon with official creditors. This marks a crucial step toward Ghana’s restoration of long-term debt sustainability. The agreement will enable financial resources to support and strengthen economic recovery”. Please Mr. President, you didn’t sign any MoU!
What Ghana needed to do to reach an Agreement was to express consent to the terms of the MoU in writing. This was done on 12th January 2024 to reach an agreement in principle, later firmed up after further negotiations in June 2024, which paved way for the second successful review of the IMF programme implementation. The OCC members (the participating creditor countries), 25 of them, were those required to sign up individually, which all of them did except 3 countries that delayed because of their long internal processes. These countries finally signed up in January 2025.
Mr. President, you played no role in this!
Apart from the rescheduling of debt service and savings from the negotiations with our official bilateral creditors, we also achieved debt cancellation of almost $4 billion and additional debt service relief of $4.7 billion through our negotiations with Ghana’s Eurobond holders. This has reduced our debt levels from 78% of GDP to 72% of GDP.
In fact, from September to October 2024 alone, our debt levels reduced by GHS68 billion. It is instructive to note therefore that with a total public debt level of GHS721 billion, which is 72% of GDP, our record on debt sustainability is better compared with President Mahama’s debt to GDP ratio of 73.1% by the end of 2016. This therefore does not give the President a good standing to teach us lessons on debts.
The energy sector debt at the beginning of 2017 stood at $2.5 billion. According to the Ghana Energy Sector Recovery Programme, the energy sector was badly managed to the extent that the debts could reach $12 billion in 5 years if nothing was done about it. President Akufo-Addo ensured this did not happen.
The NPP administration kept the lights on by spending $6.2 billion in the process over 7 years, with 2024 expenditure on energy alone standing at $1.4 billion. It is important to state also that the bulk of the ECG debts the President referenced came from excess capacity payments because of take-or-pay energy contracts signed by President Mahama. These payments could not be reflected in electricity tariffs since PURC allows for only the cost of energy consumed in tariffs and not the cost of contracted energy. This is what resulted in the debts. So who cause am? Even with these debts from President Mahama’s energy deals, Nana Akufo-Addo kept the lights on. We expect the President to do same.
Keep the lights on Mr. President.
The President’s reference to some 55 stalled projects funded from external sources because of non-disbursement of $2.9 billion pails in the shadow of the savings we have made for Ghana, which he is going to be a beneficiary of. The consequent savings Ghana is making through the rescheduling of debt service in respect of these projects shows that our debt management strategy was a masterstroke, the reason the President must applaud us, rather than doing politics with it.
We wish to state without any equivocation that unlike the NDC, the NPP administration borrowed to develop our country. By the end of our administration, we increased the size of GDP by $20 billion; and created 2.3 million jobs in eight years, the highest job creation of any government since independence. This contrasts with the previous Mahama administration which supervised a contraction in GDP by $10 billion between 2013 and 2016.
The President’s assurances to Bondholders about his commitment to honour matured coupons is good. That is what this Government must do to continue to increase investor confidence in the economy. However, to present this as a new policy or measure is to play mischief. The honouring of the matured coupon payment of GHS6.081 billion (in cash) and GHS3.46 billion (in kind) due in February 2025 to all Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP) bondholders was the fourth of these payments, the previous three payments honoured by the previous NPP government.
In fact, the previous NPP Government honoured these three previous payments to domestic bonholders between August 2023 and December 2024 totaling GHS17.25 billion (in cash) and GHS9.77 billion (in kind), based on the prescribed payment terms. Also, individuals who did not tender their bonds were paid coupons amounting to GHS515.17 million at various times between 2023 and 2024, in line with the MoU signed between the Government and the Coalition of Individual Bondholders. And we did these payments without all the noise about Sinking Fund.
The Breakdown of the payments are as follows:
a.1st Payments: August 2023, total payment-GHS 8.55 billion (GHS 5.42 billion in cash & GHS 3.13 billion in kind) b. 2nd Payments: February 2024, total payment-GHS 9.11 billion (GHS 5.85 billion in cash & GHS 3.27 billion in kind) 9 c. 3rd Payments: August 2024 Total Payment – GHS9.35 billion (GHS5.98 billion in cash & GHS3.38 billion in kind).
7.0. ENERGY SECTOR
The government’s handling of the power situation has increased uncertainty about economic growth prospects this year. The promises by the President in his address to the nation to fix the current “dumsor” cannot be different from those he made during the four years of “dumsor” endured by Ghanaians between the end of 2011 and 2016. Not even the creation of a new Ministry of Power by him could save the nation from the excruciating effects of “dumsor”, resulting in the dismissal of then Minister for Power in January 2015.
Even in 2016, there were major power interruptions which were blamed on maintenance and what was described as “localised faults”, a new term for a PR-stunt intended to cover up “dumsor”, as the government was avoiding issuing load shedding timetable despite public demands for it, because the general elections were close. Yet, the Ghanaian people knew “dumsor” had not ended, because they lived with it and continued to suffer from it.
Mr. President, you did not fix “dumsor” as you claimed in your address. Your record on “dumsor” is abysmal, unlike your predecessor Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who kept the lights on.
As we are back to “dumsor” in another Mahama term, Ghanaians remember with fear and anxiety, the potential devastation this could cause for them and their businesses, especially small businesses like hair salons, welders, dress makers and many more who earn their daily bread from these vocations. Many people and businesses have already felt the pinch and the pain of living with the current “dumsor”. We have also seen the return of electric generating sets in shops, clinics and at social events.
Mr. President this is the true state of our nation!
To ameliorate the impact of these erratic power supplies, we the Mighty Minority call on the government to publish a load shedding timetable to help people and businesses plan effectively to offset some of the losses the economy is currently suffering from.
On the petroleum sector, the record will show that production of crude oil has declined because President Mahama signed contracts with 13 companies most of which had no technical and financial capacity to undertake oil activity. However, President Akufo- Addo administration, rather introduced measures for aggressive reserve replacement on assumption of office in 2017. As a result of these measures, between 2018 and 2022, seven discoveries of oil and gas were made.
a. Pecan South-East, with an estimated volume of 10 million barrels of oil, discovered in 2018; b. Nyankom-1X with an estimated volume of 168 million barrels of oil, discovered in 2019; c. Afina-1X, with an estimated volume between 150-300 million barrels of oil, discovered in 2019; d. Akoma 1-X with an estimated volume between 500-700 million barrels oil discovered in 2022; e. Aprokuma-1X (Albian and Cenomanian), discovered in 2022, but the estimated volume is yet to be known. f. Eni’s Aprokuma-1X well was a double discovery in the Albian and Cenomanian formations, As industry watchers know, the COVID pandemic slowed down operations which affected the appraisal of these discoveries. To incentivize these companies, the then government took the decision to restore their lost time to them. Several amendments were made to the existing frameworks to provide further incentives to the industry.
The NPP government could therefore not be accused of creating a “hostile business climate and excessive political interference” in the words of President Mahama. The NPP administration also added to crude oil production with the coming on stream of Jubilee South-East in September, 2023, which added 30,000 barrels of oil per day to production from the Jubilee Field thereby taking production from the Jubilee Field to 100,000 barrels of oil per day.
8.0. SPENDING ON ECONOMIC GROWTH
Ladies and gentlemen, we are alarmed at the risk of these power challenges reversing the economic turn-around in Ghana evidenced by the resurgent economic growth achieved last year. The dangers to economic growth are very visible for us to see: a. there is no reliable power supply, b. investors are being turned away by a government that is baselessly painting a bad picture of its own economy; and c. contractors are not being paid despite the GHS68 billion approved by Parliament for the government to spend in the first quarter of the year, and notwithstanding the significant amount of revenue at their disposal to meet these spending requirements, including for example, the over GHS5 billion buffer left for them, GHS8.7 billion collected by GRA for January 2025, and about GHS67 billion borrowed in less than 2 months. Many government projects have halted as a result, and the resultant job losses by young Ghanaians is very painful and unfortunate.
Therefore, ladies and gentlemen, the prospects for growth in the first quarter of 2025 remain weak and sluggish; and the government must change its economic management strategy.
9.0. TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT
The Mahama administration made a lot of political gains by highlighting the plight of young Ghanaians who were yet to get jobs after over 2 million others had gotten jobs in the 8years of the NPP administration. They promised two more people for each job under the 24hour economy program.
Ladies and gentlemen, it is now a notorious fact that, to create vacancies for the purpose of employing NDC youth, the Mahama administration has sacked thousands of young Ghanaians who had been properly employed by the previous administration. The termination of the jobs of young Ghanaians which has become synonymous with President Mahama “Terminator 1” is a sign of what is yet to come. Sacking people from employment and replacing them later with others does not amount to job creation.
What the people of Ghana wants are new jobs for those yet to be employed. President Mahama knows that the programmes he outlined in his statement – “nkoko nkitinkiti” and the rest cannot create sustainable jobs for the Ghanaian youth, hence the resort to termination of existing jobs for future replacement to shore up his job numbers.
This is after President Mahama had argued in 2016 that it was legitimate for an outgoing administration to recruit and sign deals up until the midnight of January 7 the following year when its term expires. Not only are the double standards worrying, but the dismissals will no doubt worsen the unemployment situation which he promised to fix. The thousands who have been dismissed have been condemned to suffering and hardship.
10.0. GALAMSEY FIGHT The fight against Galamsey has been difficult no doubt. President Mills struggled with it, President Mahama struggled with it in his first term, and despite the best of efforts, President Akufo Addo also struggled with it. After having made so much propaganda about it while in opposition, key NDC figures appearing before Parliament’s appointments committee could not substantiate any of the propaganda allegations of the NPP being complicit in the galamsey phenomenon.
12 In contrast, media networks are now reporting that weeks after the election, known NDC kingpins in the Ashanti region have invaded some forests and commenced galamsey activities.
On the 19th Day of January 2025 edition of the Ghanaian Daily Graphic, it was reported that illegal miners numbering about 60 breached the Anglo Gold Ashanti Mines Security fence and intruded at Cote D. The aim of the illegal miners was to enter the Deep Decline.
The decision to enter the Deep Decline was because of a promise made to these illegal miners by the leadership of the NDC during the campaign. The promise was to assist them to illegally mine in areas which had been legally acquired by the Anglo Gold Company.
The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, speaking to Parliament on February 19, 2025, raised a very disturbing issue of insecurity leading to an alarming rate of illegal mining activities within the nation’s forest reserves. Nine (9) out of the forty-four (44) forest reserves have been completely taken by illegal mining thugs with impunity.
Our security agents and the Forestry Commission no longer have access to these Forest Reserves. We wish to ask, since when thugs involved in illegal mining became more powerful than our well-trained security agents? This is the true state of the fight against galamsey for which reason the President’s address was scanty on any real steps to tackle the canker.
11.0. INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT The President conveniently omitted from his address the strides made in the housing sector under the immediate past administration. This included the completion of some of the stalled projects inherited in 2017 like the Asokore Mampong housing project, resumption of works on the Adenta SHC estates and the selection of the private partner to commence work on the completion of the Saglemi project. Additionally, 1000 homes were delivered to the security services, 1000 homes delivered by the TDC and nearly another 1000 homes by the State Housing Company. The Administration also set up the National Homeownership fund that has delivered about 500 homes so far. The President failed to mention that the Ministry of Finance gave approval for GIIF to set up a GIIF Housing sub-fund to receive funding for bankable housing projects while the Ministry of Housing rolled out a PPP framework to stimulate housing. These strides made in the housing sector marked an unprecedented change in the approach to resolving the housing deficit in Ghana. Instead of seeking to lambast the outgone 13 administration, credit should rather be given to it followed by a commitment to build on it. The Ghana Priority Health Infrastructure Project (GPHIP) referred to as Agenda 111, was to design, construct and equip 111 hospitals across the country. The need for the construction of hospitals became essential after Ghana recorded its first case of COVID- 19 on 12th March 2020. In one of his regular addresses to the nation, where he detailed the Government’s measures to contain the spread of the virus, His Excellency President Akufo-Addo bemoaned the lack of hospitals in some 88 districts and 6 newly created regions of the country and promised swift Government investment in new hospitals, not only to address the urgent need to contain the spread of the virus in those districts and regions, but also to correct the anomaly in the distribution of health infrastructure across the country. The initial hospitals comprise of 101 District Hospitals, 7 Regional Hospitals, 2 Regional Psychiatric Hospitals; and 1 National Psychiatric Hospital (Accra Psychiatric Hospital). The programme was, however, revised to include the three (3) District Hospitals thus expanding to cover 114 sites. As at 31st December 2024, progress on completion of civil works were – 37 sites achieved 70% completion and above, 28 sites achieved between 50% and 70% completion, and 36 sites have achieved below 50% completion. Three (3) District Hospitals achieved practical completion, equipped and commissioned on 5th December 2024 and they are Atwima Kwanwoma Municipal Hospital at Trede, the Oforikrom Municipal Hospital at Kokoben, and Ahanta West Municipal Hospital at Bokro. We also had dedicated sources of funding these projects from Direct Government of Ghana (GOG) budgetary allocation and the Annual Budget Funding Amount Capex from oil revenues. Total outstanding amount to complete all the District Hospitals and the Zonal Psychiatric Hospitals as at 31st December 2024, was US$ 1.3 billion. In his haste to misinform the Ghanaian people, the President told a group of clergy men who visited him in his office that he needed $1.7 billion to complete the Agenda 111 projects. In his address to the nation, he put the amount at GHS22 billion ($1.4 billion at GHS15.5 to US$). So which is the correct amount? We have taken note of the new government’s plan to abandon these projects by proposing to re-channel the ABFA from oil revenues used in financing these projects to other projects. This is unacceptable and will lead to significant cost overruns, which will later hurt the country. 14 The NDC has resorted to a deliberate distortion of road sector data as a way of undermining the work the NPP administration has done. When it is reported that between January 2017 and June 2024, the NPP successfully undertook works covering a total length of 13, 624 kilometers, the NDC mischievously reports it as a claim of some 13,000 km of brand-new roads. We have always made it clear that this figure represents the total kilometers of roads we worked on including construction of brand new, reconstruction of delipidated roads, rehabilitation of bad roads, and upgrades of roads in poor condition. This is a major achievement when compared to the NDC’s paltry 4, 636 kilometers delivered by the Atta Mills and Mahama administration over the entire eight years in office covering the same scope of works. We also improved on the condition of roads across the country. As at the start of 2017, only 39% of roads were classified as Good, with 32% Fair, and a worrying 29% poor. By the end of 2022, we had significantly improvedthe condition mix, with 44% of roads classified as Good, 34% Fair, and Poor roads reduced to just 22%. Mr. President, no amount of propaganda will change the facts. It remains to be seen how much work your administration can do on our roads within the next 4 years. Also, between 2009 and 2016, the Atta Mills and Mahama administration managed to complete only five interchanges and I mean just five in eight years. Contrast this with the nine interchanges delivered under the Akufo Addo-Bawumia administration. Additionally, the NPP started work on at least 13 other interchanges. i. Nungua ii. Adjiringanor iii. PTC interchange iv. Kpong Barrier v. Dawhenya vi. Prampram vii. Savannah viii. Suame ix. Anomangye x. Maakro/Magazine New Road xi. Abusuakuruwaa xii. Abrepo xiii. Krofrom 15 In fact, our performance in the road sector has been so impressive that the World Bank Country Director stated on 7th August 2024 that in terms of road density (kms of road per 100 sq km land), Ghana has road assets that exceed the regional average: 32.8 km per 100sq km in Ghana versus 17 km regional average in Africa. Nearly double. Ghana is also above the regional average in terms of rural accessibility. In Ghana 63% of the population lives within 2 km of all-weather roads as compared to only 47% in the region. We must celebrate our achievements irrespective of who is doing it. Ghanaians can judge for themselves when it comes to roads and infrastructure, the record is clear: our vision, our delivery, and our impact far surpass anything our predecessors achieved. 12.0. EDUCATION Throughout the SONA, the President did well to explain to the nation his vision for education. His commitment to continue the implementation of Free School High School (FSHS) is commendable. We also commend his commitment to continue President Akuffo Addo’s drive to boost the Tertiary Gross Enrolment Ratio. Besides these, however, the vision espoused by President Mahama is uninspiring, exposing a profound education best practice and knowledge gap. Clearly, the President’s speech lacked coherence and did not articulate clearly the role of education in the transformation of Ghana. Many of the initiatives announced are already being implemented with a high degree of success under the previous regime. Consequently, a number of reforms have taken place across all levels of education in Ghana including tackling the learning crisis in the early years of education, through the implementation of of Differentiated Learning approach (Foundational Learning). In the face of Covid-19, teachers and other education workers came together and saved our nation from what could have been catastrophic learning losses. By working together, our Primary 2 literacy jumped from 2 percent in 2015 to 38 percent in 2022. To equip learners with 21st-century skills at the secondary level. The Ministry of Education under Akufo-Addo’s administration had a total overhaul of the country’s secondary education curriculum with a focus on improving national values, promoting STEM education, and preparing learners for the field of work. To make sure that our students meet global standards and participate in the fast growth of digitalization, advancing STEM education for Ghana’s transformation was a key focus in our government. Thus, 13 STEM schools have been built across the nation. These include Awaso STEM SHS, Koase STEM High, East Legon STEM Academy, Kpasenkpe STEM SHS, Bosomtwe STEM and Girls SHS, and so on. In 16 addition to that, over 20 STEM centers have been built in existing schools across the country. Contrary to the assertion that the Ghanaian education system is outmoded, we have rather enhanced our education system during the last few years. An education system that has introduced courses like biomedical sciences, engineering, aviation, manufacturing engineering, robotics, and so on. We have also built science and engineering labs across the country. This system of education cannot be described as outmoded. As we speak, high school students are receiving tablets to facilitate technology integration to enhance teaching and learning under the Ghana Smart Schools Project introduced to empower students on a global scale. While His Excellency John Dramani Mahama has outlined his vision for education and skills development, it is imperative to acknowledge the substantial progress made under the previous administration in transforming Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in Ghana. In 2017 The TVET sector was uncoordinated, and some seventeen (17) Ministries were engaged in some form of TVET regulation and delivery and therefore made coordination across the landscape quite challenging since each of the TVET Institutions were taking direct instructions from their ministries and legislations. Almost all the workshops in the TVET Institutions were filled with obsolete tools and equipment and outdated curricula. The sector was not responsive to the needs of Industry. The linkage between training providers and industry was very weak which caused mismatches in the demand and supply. The Akufo-Addo led government implemented bold reforms, backed by significant investments, to revamp TVET, ensuring it becomes a viable pathway for skills acquisition, entrepreneurship, and employment creation. Some of the key interventions and accomplishments in the sector included the establishment of the Commission for TVET (CTVET) and the Ghana TVET Service (GTVET), introduction of Free TVET into the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) policy leading to a massive jump in 3-year enrolment from 41,696 in 2016 to over 172,473 in 2024, construction of four new TVET centres of excellence, rehabilitation and Equipping of tertiary and pre-tertiary TVET Institutions, implementation of Competency-Based Training (CBT), Establishment of Sector Skills Bodies (SSBs) to bridge the gap between training institutions and industry, introduction of the National Apprenticeship Policy and Ghana Apprenticeship Programme (GAP) with over 40,000 beneficiaries, Strengthening of TVET Teacher Training by establishing 17 the Akenten Appiah Menkah University for Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development (AAMUSTED), Establishment and Operationalization of the Ghana Skills Development Fund (GSDF), introduction of STEM-Integrated TVET Centres, TVET Curriculum Reforms with over 108 CBT curriculum packages developed, introduction of World Skills Ghana and joining as the 81st member, and initiated the construction of 32 new state of the art TVET centers (two per a region). We have laid a solid foundation for TVET transformation in Ghana. The focus should now be on consolidating these gains rather than presenting an inaccurate narrative that disregards these achievements. The future of TVET in Ghana depends on building upon these robust interventions to further enhance skills development and economic growth based on our proposed TVET policy that focuses on just transition, governance, access, quality, sustainable and efficient financing, research and innovation, competency based training and environmental sustainability. The previous NPP government focused on equipping learners at all levels with 21st century skills so that learners can be partakers of the 4th Industrial Revolution. However, it’s quite appalling to hear President Mahama say that they inherited an outdated system. 13.0. JUDICIARY AND POLITICS On the Judiciary, the President complained about politicization of the judiciary and the need to make it independent. Very unfortunate. This is a myth in their own minds that they are pushing to discredit the only institution that is not formed by political parties. The power to appoint lower court – district and circuit – court judges is in the Chief Justice, subject to the approval of the President, under Article 148 of the 1992 Constitution. No political person has power to start the process. If the president doesn’t approve, all he can say is no. What evidence does he have that any president, including himself and his party – picked lower court judges for the Chief Justice? Any such position cannot be true. Pursuant to Article 144 of the constitution, Superior Court Judges are not appointed by the President alone. His choices must be approved by the Judicial Council, and by the Council of State. Any refusal by any of these bodies means the President’s nominee will not become a Judge or be promoted. By Article 153 of the Constitution, the Judicial Council is made up of 14 CONSTITUENCIES. The sitting president contributes in the selection of the Attorney General and four non-lawyers. How is the President suggesting that these non-lawyers that the president sends can politicize the independent thinking of the remaining majority 18 on the council. Judges are professionals who must serve our democracy free of insinuations that intimidate them as if they don’t tow a political line, they will not be appointed to the next level. It is such utterances by politicians that can affect the ability of judges to serve the country independently. If that is what he wants to achieve, then it is unfortunate. After all, he kept saying that his party will look through their ranks and encourage them to become judges, to serve the interest of his party. Therefore, in our view, the President’s statements about politicisation of the judiciary is only an expression of his own agenda he kept touting before the elections. 14.0. INSECURITY IN THE COUNTRY Ghana has been ranked the second safest destination in Africa by Altezza Travel, a global tourism firm. According to their 2025 tourism report, Ghana boasts a remarkably low crime rate, surpassing even countries like Canada, Greece, and Australia in terms of safety. In the Terrorism Index, it is among the countries with a zero score. Its crime rate is lower than Canada, Greece, and Australia. With regards to the Global Peace Index, Ghana surpassed Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina, France, China, and even Jamaica. Under President Akufo Addo, a deliberate policy and planning had enhanced Ghana’s peace and security. The crime rate in the country for instance, had reduced significantly following the increase in police visibility. The visibility has brought discipline on the roads and made communities safer. However, in a rather contrasting and worrying view, following the election of President Mahama in the 2024 general elections, several acts of lawlessness and violence have erupted in the country leading to the arrest of over 100 people suspected to be supporters of the ruling party. (BBC, December 11, 2024). Supporters of the newly elected president who want jobs have allegedly attacked some state institutions, looted properties, and engaged in disturbances that have left some police and military personnel injured. Below are details of some of these acts of violence and lawlessness: a. At Ayensuano, angry youth set the Electoral Commission office ablaze. The arson, reportedly carried out by individuals dissatisfied with the declaration of results, symbolises a loss of faith in the fairness and credibility of Ghana’s electoral processes. b. The standoff at the Ghana Gas Headquarters, where security forces fired warning shots to disperse a crowd of protesters. 19 c. In Mamobi, hooded individuals paraded through the streets on vehicles and motorbikes. d. In Obuasi, civilians and party members were in direct showdown with military officers. Several shooting incidents led to four dead and many injured. e. In Damongo, frustrated youth storm Damongo Municipal Collation Centre and set the EC office ablaze. The fire caused extensive damage to the building and its contents. The violence resulted in the death of one person and the burning of the district office of the Electoral Commission. f. Eight suspects were arrested for attacking the Metro Mass Transit workshop in Sunyani, Bono Region. Suspects unlawfully entered the workshop premises and attacked and threatened workers, forcing them to vacate their offices. g. A wave of violence swept through Ejura Police station as angry Zongo youth attacked a local police station, freeing suspects on remand and setting the police station on fire. h. The lifeless body of a final-year Biological Sciences student of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology was discovered near the KNUST Disability and Rehabilitation Centre. i. The Council of State elections in the Ashanti Region descended into chaos as a group of unidentified thugs stormed the election center, disrupting the sorting and counting of ballots. j. In Bunkpurugu-Yunyoo chieftaincy clash, four people lost their lives, and six others sustained gunshots wounds in attacks on the Nanik and Nganme Gberuk communities in Bunkpurugu-Yunyoo district of the North East Region on Friday, February 28. k. Four students were arrested at Weija Divisional Police Command after a clash ensued between some students of Christian Methodist Senior High School and local youth over a missing mobile phone at the school’s premises at Aplaku. Some of the youth were trading blows, and in some instances, clubs were used, resulting in some students sustaining injuries while some school properties were also destroyed.
l. Five students sustained severe injuries, with several others suffering minor wounds, after violence erupted during a peace ceremony between students of Bawku Senior High School and Bawku Technical Institute. m. Twenty students from Salaga Senior High School in the East Gonja Municipality of the Savannah Region have been arrested following a violent clash that left one person with multiple stab wounds. Law enforcement officers seized a locally manufactured pistol and a round of ammunition from the scene. Of the twenty students, 17 have been granted bail, while three remain in custody.
It is sad to mention that because of the insecurity situation in our country, the EC has not been able to conclude Ablekuma Parliamentary Election declaration. This certainly is a dark spot in our democratic dispensation given that the people of Ablekuma are currently not having a representative in parliament.
Insecurity in the Bawku area continues to heighten in recent times, with a woman and her two children being tragically murdered in their home by gun men on February 9,
Again, on February 25, 2025, a 13-year-old boy was killed in the same township. The indiscriminate killing of the indigenes of Walewale and its environs is getting out of hand with the imposition of curfew in the area. Government needs to decouple Politics from Security and ensure that every Ghanaian is protected.
Mr. President, the insecurity situation in our country is indeed very worrying. As you refuse to act decisively, the security agencies have become powerless, and this continue to embolden thugs of your party who visit mayhem on innocent Ghanaians daily. Sadly, the homes of some former public servants have been raided in “Rambo-style” that can only be akin to what happens in a military coup de-tat. For many Ghanaians, this is reminding them of the dark days of our nation’s history. The President must act. And indeed, action is required now.
Rather strangely, whilst officials of the NPP administration are being harassed and investigated, former officials of the NDC government who were on judicial trials have been cleared of all criminal charges against them; and in some cases have been rewarded with juicy appointments like the current Governor of the Bank of Ghana. Today, we are being told that crime has party colours, and our country has been turned into an Animal Farm where “Four legs good, Two legs bad”.
15.0. CONCLUSION
Ladies and Gentlemen, we the Mighty Minority are ready to do our work – to provide truthful information to the Ghanaian people on the affairs of our nation, especially, as the government is holding a National Economic Dialogue, which is intended to whitewash the unfounded and baseless claims of the mismanagement of our economy under the erstwhile NPP administration. They are even scaring the people of Ghana further by putting out unaudited outstanding claims on government, and we will expose the mischief in these claims.
We believe these unholy moves by the NDC are intended to buy time to cover for its incompetence in managing the economy and to establish the basis for increasing taxes and introducing new taxes in the 2025 Budget Statement, even as they are promising to scrap E-Levy, COVID-Levy and others.
Ladies and gentlemen, does it make sense to scrap E-levy and betting tax, and replace them with new taxes on the mining, telecommunication, the financial sector and real estate industries, which will all be passed on to customers? The people of Ghana should wait for the deception of the NDC government when they present the 2025 budget – taxes galore!
This is how they intend to tax Ghanaians to collect their target of GHS200 billion in tax revenues this year. This government accused us of overtaxing the people of Ghana because by the end of 2024, the NPP administration collected GHS152.9 billion which is 17% tax to GDP ratio taking it from President Mahama’s 13% in 2016. How do you then turn around to expect to collect GHS200 billion in a broken economy?
We the Mighty Minority will join the people of Ghana to resist any attempt to smuggle in new taxes or increase existing taxes. We owe it a duty to hold the government accountable for their promises to the people of Ghana. Ladies and Gentlemen, as a country, we have come a long way, working closely with our key stakeholders including the IMF, World Bank, the African Development Bank, bilateral partners, domestic and international investors; and more importantly, the Ghanaian people who have sacrificed so much to see us get this far. We can assure you all that our partners and the people of Ghana are not happy because the President’s SONA has reversed the gains made especially towards building confidence with investors. The President has painted the picture of a country that has been economically mismanaged when in fact, we have turned the corner from what we have all come to know was the worst economic crisis in Ghana following an unprecedented global crisis between 2020 and 2022. Even when they were confronted with a domestic challenge in the form of dumsor, they run to the IMF to save the economy. How much more a crisis that plagued all countries across the world. What the President has done is like putting a gun on one’s head and pulling the trigger. Investors had felt the hope of a resurging economy, and were looking forward to the new things the President was bringing to consolidate the gains. The President has effectively told them to go away because the economy is in crisis, contrary to the evidence. 22 The cost-of-living crisis is a global problem, and we understand, but that cannot be used to degrade the entire economy in the face of overwhelming data pointing to the contrary. And in addressing the cost-of-living crisis, the President himself went to a meeting with leaders of the labour union to assure them he was on top of his job, only to offer them 10% increase in the base pay, when his predecessor without this drama offered them 23% from January to June and 25% from July to December 2024 in an economy that is “criminally mismanaged” in the words of President Mahama. He also touted his economic strategy around the 24-Hour economy to deliver jobs to the youth. However, the only area he mentioned was in the processing of passports. Not even the incentives to industries that will create sustainable jobs. Does the President think many Ghanaians would want to run out of the country because they know his poor record on job creation, and are preparing to run out of the country as a result of which they need a 24hour issuance of passports?
Ladies and gentlemen, let no one be surprised at the blame game by His Excellency the President. It is not new. This is what President Mahama said about the late Professor John Evans Atta Mills, in his last state of the nation address delivered on January 5, 2017, in which he blamed the poor performance of their first four years during which he served as Vice President.
“Mr. Speaker, we inherited [in 2013] an economy that was running a high deficit, with increasing inflation and interest rates. It was also characterized by a rapidly depreciating currency. This unstable macro environment created an unfavourable investment environment for both indigenous and foreign capital. Our forum at Senchi was an attempt to forge a consensus for a homegrown fiscal consolidation programme. The Senchi outcome eventually became the basis for the IMF Extended Credit Facility (ECF) programme we are implementing”.
Ladies and gentlemen, we are back there, with another round of blame game and another National Economic Dialogue and with the same “da da noaa” His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, who promises to create jobs and begin by firing those who have jobs. Ladies and gentlemen, fellow citizens. This is the True State of our Nation. May the Almighty God bless our Nation and make her great and strong. Thank you!
