The General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Justin Frimpong Kodua, has expressed shock and disbelief over the results of the just-ended 2024 parliamentary elections.

He stated that one major issue before the 2020 election was how the party had imposed some candidates on certain constituencies.

“So we vowed not to allow such instances to repeat themselves again in the 2023/2024 primaries. You can testify that we ran one of the most transparent and efficient parliamentary primaries in our party, with no traces of controversy after the election. The various constituencies were given the opportunity to elect whoever they wanted to lead them in the 2024 election,” he said.

He revealed that an album validation committee was established to ensure transparency during the election and avoid any misunderstandings among members.

In an interview on Asempa FM’s Ekosiisen Show on Tuesday, January 14, Mr Kodua mentioned that parliamentary candidates of the party acknowledged that the party had fairly provided maximum support during the election, making it unprecedented.

“Some of us are still mesmerized, we are still shocked by the outcome of the election,” he emphasized.

Mr Kodua further explained that he chose not to grant any interviews after the election because he was puzzled by how the party lost so many seats despite ensuring a smooth election process during the primaries.

He expressed strong confidence in the committee set up to investigate the aftermath of the 2024 election.

“The committee, headed by Prof Mike Oquaye, will probe further to find out what really happened,” he stressed.

He also attributed the party’s loss to apathy that had crept into the party, which he claimed led to the poor performance.

“The kind of apathy that infiltrated the party in the 2024 elections affected both the presidential and parliamentary candidates…” he concluded.

Although both parties had 137 MPs with one independent MP backing the NPP to give them a slight majority in the 8th Parliament, the 9th Parliament has seen the NDC winning 183 seats, with the NPP managing just 88 seats with four Independent MPs.

There’s just one parliamentary seat yet to be determined by the Electoral Commission due to an outstanding dispute.

Source: Myjoyonline.com

The minority in Parliament has called on its members to boycott any invitation extended to them by the Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) Committee.

In a press briefing today, January 15, in Parliament, the Suame MP, John Darko, said its operations are unconstitutional and a violation of Ghana’s legal framework.

It was his view that ORAL’s activities overlap with and undermine the functions of established institutions like the Police Criminal Investigations Department (CID), the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO), and the Office of the Special Prosecutor.

“no serious country will entertain anything such as this,” he argued.

He further stressed that “Our advice to outgone government officials is clear: boycott any invitation from this so-called ORAL team. We refuse to participate in or recognise its activities because constitutionally established institutions already exist to investigate any alleged misdeeds.”

Consequently, Mr.Darko criticised the Attorney General (AG) nominee, Dr Dominic Ayine for endorsing an entity that undermines the role of constitutionally established bodies.

They also alleged the Oral was going too far, with its operatives engaging in activities that disrupt the lives of private citizens.

“They are going about disturbing people, entering homes, seizing vehicles, and confiscating lands from individuals who have lawfully acquired them. This is nothing short of harassment, and it must stop,” Mr. Darko added.

By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme