Senior political science lecturer at the University of Ghana, Dr. Jebuntie Zaato, has waded into the debate surrounding the resignation of the New Juaben South Member of Parliament (MP), Hon. Michael Okyere Baafi, and has called for a more balanced approach to political accountability.
His comments come in the wake of the NPP’s defeat in the Akwatia by-election, a loss that has triggered calls for Hon. Okyere Baafi to honour his public pledge to resign if his party lost.
While acknowledging the validity of these calls, Dr. Zaato argued that the same standard must be applied to other politicians who have made similar promises, particularly the NDC’s Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, who serves as the MP for North Tongu and as the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
The controversy began when Hon. Okyere Baafi was quoted on August 31, 2025, saying, “If NPP loses this Akwatia by-election, I will resign as MP, mark my words.”
Following the by-election results, which saw the National Democratic Congress (NDC) emerge victorious, the NDC’s Director of Elections, Rashid Tanko Computer, has been firm in his demand for the MP’s resignation.
“We are going to Michael Okyere Baafi’s constituency. He has apologised, we are not accepting his apology. He must resign. If he doesn’t resign, Ghanaians will not take politicians seriously”
Rashid Tanko Computer, NDC’s Director of Elections
However, Dr. Zaato has pushed back on this selective application of pressure. He questioned the motive behind the NDC’s singular focus on Hon. Okyere Baafi when their own party member, Hon. Ablakwa, has also made a public promise to resign in the past but failed.
“Why is it that the same people who are calling for Baafi to resign are not also calling for Okudzeto Ablakwa to also resign? He was the MP who said that when he becomes Minister in this administration and any member of the government uses a private jet, he will resign. He is also on tape”
Dr. Jebuntie Zaato, Senior Political Science Lecturer
The lecturer went on to challenge the notion that accountability should be a tool used only against political opponents. He stressed the importance of holding all politicians to their word, regardless of their party affiliation, in order to foster a more serious and credible political environment.
“Let us hold both of them accountable and have them all resign and have two by-elections. By-elections do something good for local economies,” he argued. Dr. Zaato described the selective demands for accountability as “hypocrisy on steroids,” stating that such behaviour undermines public trust in the political system.
“If we are calling for accountability, we should do that,” he added, citing President John Dramni Mahama’s use of his brother’s private jet to travel to visit the leaders of Gambia and Senegal in the aftermath of his January 7th swearing in ceremony.
According to Dr. Zaato, the NDC’s Hon. Okudzeto Ablakwa should have resigned immediately after that controversial incident.
A Crucial Victory
Beyond the issue of political pledges, Dr. Zaato also provided a broader analysis of the significance of the Akwatia by-election victory for the NDC.
The by-election, which was held on Tuesday, September 2, 2025, to replace the late Ernest Yaw Kumi, saw the NDC’s Bernard Bediako Baidoo secure a critical win with 18,199 votes, while the NPP’s Solomon Kwame Asumadu trailed with 15,235 votes.
Dr. Zaato noted that the victory was a much-needed “pick-me-up” for the governing party, which he claimed had been struggling with a series of failures. “The NDC needed this victory like a blind man needs his sight,” he said.
The lecturer, who is a known sympathiser of the NPP, pointed to a depreciating cedi, a state of insecurity in the country, and what he called the government’s reliance on “sloganeering” as some of the challenges the administration of President John Dramani Mahama has been facing.
He contrasted the NDC government’s rhetoric with what he considered a lack of substantive achievements, besides the removal of the Chief Justice.
He explained that the recent poor performance of the cedi, coupled with incidents of tribal conflicts in the Savannah region that have led to fatalities, has made it difficult for government communicators to highlight their successes.
According to Dr. Zaato, the Akwatia victory provides a much-needed morale boost for the NDC in the face of these adversities. “The NDC needed to show that they have something,” he concluded.
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