New Patriotic Party (NPP) communicator Solomon Kusi Appiah has raised serious concerns over recent cocaine-related controversies, alleging that the successful movement of large quantities of narcotics from Ghana points to possible complicity or failures within the country’s security system.

In a studio discussion at Kessben Maakye show in Accra, Kusi Appiah insisted, if a full container of narcotics could allegedly leave Ghana before being intercepted in France, then questions must be asked about how the consignment was able to pass through Ghana’s security structures and whether some officials facilitated its movement.
“If a full container of narcotics was able to be shipped from Ghana and was arrested in France, then some officials have a hand in it,” he alleged.

Kusi Appiah, who has previously been identified publicly as a member of the NPP’s communications team, argued that the Akufo-Addo administration left behind a robust security system designed to make it difficult for cocaine traffickers to operate.
He claimed that drug dealers have now realised that the system is “porous,” which, in his view, explains the growing number of narcotics cases being recorded.

He further accused the current NDC administration of failing to maintain the security structures it inherited.
Kusi Appiah also questioned whether President John Mahama has sufficient control over the system, while accusing the NDC government of failing to live up to its obligations to Ghanaians.

He further challenged the NDC over its response to the cocaine controversy, asking when the party came to the conclusion that narcotics trafficking should be treated as a national concern rather than an issue for partisan political attacks.

According to him, the growing international attention surrounding cocaine cases allegedly connected to Ghana risks damaging the country’s reputation abroad.
“NDC has destroyed the reputation of Ghana, and it is not good,” he alleged.

The claims concerning government officials’ involvement and the circumstances surrounding the alleged narcotics shipment remain allegations in Kusi Appiah’s remarks and are not established as fact here.

By Maurice Otoo

Former National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Awentami Paul Afoko, has declared that the party can return to government after spending only two years in opposition if its members unite and rebuild the party’s structures.

Afoko, who is seeking to return as National Chairman, made the declaration during his campaign tour of the Western, Central and Eastern Regions, where he engaged constituency executives and other party stakeholders ahead of the NPP’s October 3 national elections.

Speaking to delegates, Afoko said he was confident the NPP could recapture political power in the 2028 general election, provided the party resolves its internal divisions.

“I do not have a magic wand, but I can assure you that if we close our ranks and rally behind me to become the National Chairman, we have only two years to stay in opposition, and then power will be ours,” he said.

Afoko puts unity at the centre

Afoko’s campaign message revolves around his 3Rs blueprint — Reunite, Rebuild and Recapture Power.

He argued that the party has the resources and organisational capacity required to compete for power, but maintained that internal disagreements remain a major issue that must be addressed.

“We have all the ingredients for victory. What we lack is unity,” Afoko told the delegates, calling on members to put aside their differences and rebuild the party as one political family.

‘We must rebuild from the grassroots’

As part of his proposed reforms, Afoko said he would focus on strengthening the party’s grassroots structures, including constituency and polling-station organisations.

He also pledged to restore confidence among party supporters and foot soldiers whom he said had felt neglected.

His position is consistent with comments he made earlier in his campaign, when he said the NPP’s ability to return to government would depend heavily on healing internal divisions and strengthening its grassroots base.

2028 firmly in focus

Afoko’s declaration comes as the NPP prepares for its national executive elections, with the National Chairman contest scheduled for October 3, 2026, at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi.

His latest remarks are a political commitment and projection by the candidate; they do not establish the eventual outcome of the 2028 election. His central argument is that organisational unity and restructuring can position the NPP to compete for power in the next general election.

The Convention People’s Party (CPP) has renewed its appeal to President John Dramani Mahama to facilitate the return of properties the party says were confiscated by the state following the 1966 overthrow of Ghana’s first President and CPP founder, Dr Kwame Nkrumah.

The appeal was made by the CPP’s Acting First Vice-Chairperson, Joyce Osei Owusu Larbie, during a ceremony in Accra marking Dr Nkrumah’s 117th birthday.

Speaking under the theme “The Vision, The Legacy, The Future,” Larbie said the party was seeking “justice and restitution; not favour” from the government.

CPP wants its properties back

According to the CPP, it previously owned headquarters and offices in various parts of the country before the properties were taken over following the 1966 coup.

The party says it is currently operating from rented premises on Mango Street in Accra because it no longer has access to those properties.

Larbie argued that the circumstances surrounding the CPP’s properties were different from ordinary political-party financing because the party existed before the Fourth Republic and its assets were allegedly confiscated following a military overthrow and under a military decree.

She therefore urged President Mahama to revisit the matter and facilitate the return of the properties.

‘We are asking for restitution, not favour’

The CPP maintains that the return of its properties would help the party rebuild its organisational structures and strengthen its contribution to national development.

The party has pursued the matter for several years. In 2015, it took legal action against the government over properties it said were seized after the 1966 coup, including Republic House and the Nkrumah Flats at Lartebiokorshie. The case was dismissed in 2019 on issues including the party’s legal capacity and limitation.

The demand has nevertheless remained a recurring issue for the CPP, with the party renewing its call for the return of its former offices and other assets.

The CPP had also previously appealed to successive governments to address the issue as part of what it considers a broader process of historical reconciliation.

Mahama urged to act

Larbie is now calling on President Mahama to honour an earlier commitment to examine the CPP’s petition and take steps towards resolving the longstanding dispute.

For the CPP, the return of the properties is not simply about financial support for a political party but about restoring assets it says were legitimately acquired by its members and forebears before the 1966 coup.

The latest appeal comes as the party continues efforts to rebuild, reconcile and reorganise its structures while keeping Dr Nkrumah’s political legacy at the centre of its activities.

Majority Chief Whip and South Dayi MP Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor has entered the growing debate over narcotics trafficking in Ghana, arguing that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) cannot successfully turn the issue into a partisan political battle.

In a post on X, Dafeamekpor cited a series of drug seizures and arrests recorded in Ghana and involving Ghanaians or foreign nationals between 2017 and 2024.

He referenced cases involving cocaine and heroin seizures at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA), Ghana Post and other locations, as well as the major 399kg cocaine seizure at Nsawam in 2008.

Dafeamekpor drags 2008 cocaine case into debate

Dafeamekpor also referred to a January 2009 US Department of State report which described Ghana as a transit point for illegal drugs, particularly cocaine from South America and heroin from Afghanistan and Pakistan.

According to the report he cited, drugs were transiting through Accra’s Kotoka International Airport to Europe and the United States, while also contributing to domestic drug consumption.

The Majority Chief Whip used the historical cases to argue that drug trafficking is not a problem that began under the current administration.

His intervention comes amid heightened political debate following major narcotics seizures linked to consignments from Ghana, including the seizure of nearly 3.9 tonnes of cocaine at France’s Port of Dunkirk on September 10, 2026. The parliamentary Minority has called for Parliament to be recalled to examine the issue.

‘Let’s stop the politics’

Dafeamekpor is calling for the focus to shift away from political exchanges and towards tackling the narcotics menace as a national problem.

He argued that the various seizures and arrests should be viewed in the context of a longstanding challenge requiring cooperation among Ghanaian and international law-enforcement agencies.

His message was that political parties should put aside partisan considerations and support efforts to combat drug trafficking.

The South Dayi MP has also previously argued that Parliament should not interfere with ongoing investigations being conducted by the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), the Police and other agencies legally mandated to investigate and prosecute narcotics-related offences.

NPP and NDC clash over Ghana’s drug-trafficking record

The latest comments add another layer to the political debate over Ghana’s handling of narcotics trafficking.

While the opposition has raised concerns about recent seizures and the security of Ghana’s ports and export systems, Dafeamekpor has pointed to historical cases to argue that the challenge cuts across different administrations.

For him, the issue should not become a contest between the NPP and NDC, but rather a national effort involving security agencies, customs, port authorities and international partners.