Bring back Ofori-Atta before seeking power - Majority Leader to NPP

The Majority Leader in Parliament, Mahama Ayariga, has said the New Patriotic Party (NPP) must ensure the return of former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta to Ghana before seeking another mandate from Ghanaians.

According to him, the NPP cannot distance itself from Ofori-Atta's actions while in office, arguing that the former minister was entrusted with managing the country's finances during the party's tenure in government.

Speaking on the floor of Parliament on June 17, 2026, Ayariga said the NPP should be held accountable for Ofori-Atta's stewardship of the economy and challenged the party to produce him before asking voters for another chance to govern.

“Ghanaians should tell the NPP that if they don’t produce Ken Ofori-Atta in this country, they should never come before them asking for power again.

“Ghanaians must question the NPP because you presented him to this Parliament as your nominee for Finance Minister and we approved him as your nominee for Finance Minister. We gave him our economy to manage, and he mismanaged it and ran away,” he stated.

Ayariga questioned why the NPP should be allowed to seek another mandate from voters without first ensuring the former minister returns to the country.

“And you want to go back to Ghanaians and ask Ghanaians to give you power again, so that you will bring another Ken Ofori-Atta to mismanage the economy and run to Europe. That's what you want to do,” he said.

Ayariga further argued that Ghanaians should make Ofori-Atta's return a prerequisite for considering the NPP in future elections.

Watch as Afenyo-Markin and Ayariga clash over Ofori-Atta’s US residency

“And Ghanaians must be asking the NPP not to even appear before them to ask for power unless they have brought Ken Ofori-Atta back to this country,” he added.

His comments follow a decision by a United States immigration court approving Ofori-Atta's I-485 petition, a significant step toward obtaining lawful permanent resident status in the country.

The ruling came after the court reviewed issues surrounding the criminal investigations and charges facing Ofori-Atta in Ghana, including the Office of the Special Prosecutor's (OSP) previous declaration that he was a fugitive from justice.

Ofori-Atta is facing multiple criminal allegations in Ghana over alleged financial irregularities, including claims that a contract awarded to Strategic Mobilisation Limited caused losses of more than GH¢1.4 billion to the state.

JKB/AM

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