In an explosive post-election address, Mr. Mustapha Gbande, the General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has expressed the NDC’s campaign strategy to eliminate the NPP members from Parliament in the just-ended election.

According to him, a “consolidated rigging plan” was orchestrated by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the lead-up to the 2024 elections.

Mr. Gbande accused the NPP of leveraging state institutions and deploying military tactics to intimidate voters and manipulate electoral outcomes.

Mr. Gbande began by describing certain delays and their implications in the election. He stated vehemently;

“[There was] what I call the undue delay that has been characterized by coalition and declaration of results by the electoral commission in most of the places where we believe we have won. Which lead to a lot of reactions from party faithful, and from Ghanaians who have voted.
They intended to use the Electoral Commission and its installation as the end of their rigging plan. They also had plans to Rig.’’
Mustapha Gbande General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC)

He also alleged that the NPP had plans to manipulate results through ballot stuffing, military intimidation, and the suppression of voter participation.

“You have military officers actually invading constituencies, moving from polling station to polling station, holding weapons. For the first time, you’ve seen military officers being deployed with a display of weapons and ammunitions that carry a tone of panic and fear into the voters.’’
Mustapha Gbande General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC)

He further described the unprecedented deployment of snipers from the Special Force Division and their use of airports for covert operations.

According to Mr. Gbande, these military deployments were aimed at influencing parliamentary seat declarations in favor of the NPP. Mr. Gbande cited specific incidents to substantiate his allegations. He queried;

“How do you deploy military officers into a Land Cruiser of a contesting member of the election?”
Mustapha Gbande General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC)

In response to the alleged rigging efforts, Mr. Gbande revealed that the NDC had developed a “consolidated resistance plan” to counteract the NPP’s tactics. He emphasized; “Our plan was to stop at nothing than to ensure that if we won, same was declared.’’

He further commended the police administration and other security agencies for their professionalism in mitigating potential violence during the elections.

He further claimed that military officers were involved in violent incidents, including shootings in constituencies such as Nsawam and Ablekuma, where they reportedly intimidated voters and disrupted the electoral process.

“In Northern Region, they shot and killed somebody,” Mr. Gbande alleged, adding that a weapon and knife were found in the car of a District Chief Executive (DCE).

A Call for Accountability

Mr. Gbande reiterated that the NDC would not relent until all their parliamentary victories were duly declared.

“We actually want to get NPP completely out of parliament,” he declared, describing the party as “unnecessary to our democracy.”

Mr. Gbande reserved harsh words for NPP leaders, particularly Alexander Afenyo-Markin, whom he accused; “Collapsed parliament through your influence in a judiciary -and today, he’s gained a voice to talk.’’

He promised that “after 7^th January, [the NDC] would define the country’s principles very well.’’

Mr. Mustapha Gbande’s revelations have added a new dimension to the post-election discourse in Ghana.

His allegations of military intimidation, EC complicity, and deliberate delays in declaring results underscore the NDC’s ongoing fight for electoral accountability.

While these claims remain unsubstantiated in some instances, they reflect the intense political polarization and mistrust that have characterized Ghana’s electoral landscape.