JUST IN: NPP MPs who allegedly stole money as appointees will be jailed soon
Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mustapha Gbande, has made a bold statement suggesting that the party is eagerly awaiting the prosecution and jailing of certain New Patriotic Party (NPP) appointees who currently serve in Parliament, in order to trigger by-elections and increase the NDC’s parliamentary majority.
Speaking on Accra-based Asempa FM during the Ekosii Sen programme with OB, Gbande explained that the NDC’s numbers in Parliament are currently not sufficient to comfortably push through their agenda. He expressed optimism that once some NPP MPs are jailed over alleged corruption, it will pave the way for by-elections that could hand the NDC more seats.
“We are waiting for those who stole money to be jailed so that we can go for by-elections. We are waiting for the NPP appointees who are now in Parliament to be jailed so that we will organize a by-election,” Gbande stated.
His comments appear to reference ongoing investigations and prosecutions involving former government officials, some of whom have been accused of financial misconduct while in office. The NDC seems to believe these legal processes could soon result in convictions and automatic loss of parliamentary seats, as per Ghana’s constitutional provisions.
Gbande did not mention specific names, but his remarks imply the party is banking on the Attorney General to secure convictions that would force the hand of the Electoral Commission to organize fresh elections in targeted constituencies.
Commenting further on the state of the NPP, Gbande criticized the party’s current leadership, describing it as weak and out of touch with grassroots political realities.
“This is not the NPP we all know. This is not Obetsebi Lamptey’s NPP,” he said, referring to one of the party’s founding members. “A party that harbours crimes, a party that sat and did nothing about what Akufo-Addo did to the country — are these people qualified to win any election?”
According to him, the NPP is not even ready for its own internal elections, much less a national contest.
“There is no leadership in the NPP. They don’t understand the issues. Winning an election is not about wearing suits and big shades; it is about hard work and experience,” he added.
Gbande threw a challenge to the NPP regarding the ongoing political tensions in the Ablekuma North constituency, where the Electoral Commission has announced a rerun of the parliamentary elections in 19 polling stations.
“If they believe they are ready for elections, let them meet us in Ablekuma North. We are waiting for them,” he said confidently.
His comments are likely to stir political controversy as they suggest the NDC is anticipating and even hoping for convictions of its political opponents as part of a broader electoral strategy.
So far, the Attorney General’s office has not responded to the specific claims made by Gbande, but several former officials from the previous NPP administration are under investigation or have been arraigned for alleged corruption.
The NPP, on the other hand, is yet to respond officially to the Deputy General Secretary’s comments, though individual party members may likely issue rebuttals in the coming days.
Gbande’s statement further intensifies the already heated political atmosphere, especially as Ghana heads into another crucial general election cycle.