I was handcuffed and thrown into a car boot as sitting MP under Akufo-Addo - Nii Lante Vanderpuye

The former National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament for the Odododiodio constituency, Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuye, has recounted his harrowing ordeal at the hands of the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) government in 2020.

This comes amidst widespread agitation from the NPP over the recent raid on the residence of the Member of Parliament for Assin South, Reverend John Ntim Fordjour.

NPP members have condemned an incident in which about 20 operatives from the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB), armed with AK-47 rifles, attempted to arrest Reverend Ntim Fordjour at his residence on Wednesday, April 9, 2025.

The arrest was thwarted when members of the Minority Caucus in Parliament—led by their leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin—alongside senior NPP figures, rushed to the MP's residence in solidarity and demanded a bench warrant.

Reverend Ntim Fordjour had earlier alleged that two foreign flights, which suspiciously landed in Ghana in March 2025, were involved in cocaine trafficking and money laundering activities. These claims have been strongly denied by the John Mahama-led government, which has urged the MP to cooperate fully with the country’s security agencies as investigations continue.

The NPP has criticized the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government for what it describes as the persecution of NPP members who previously held public office.

However, commenting on the matter during a panel discussion on Channel1 TV, Nii Lante Vanderpuye strongly disagreed with the position held by the opposition party, stating that what he suffered under the Akufo-Addo government was far worse.

"Me, sitting here, went through a much more harrowing ordeal under their government. I was handcuffed and put in the boot of a car as a sitting Member of Parliament on 7th December 2020 and dumped at the Regional Police Command. I collapsed—I don’t know what happened for seven hours. Fifty-two of my party officials were arrested, and my polling agent was shot and killed. Up till today—five years down the line—my boys are still in court, and those who did the shooting are walking free. Sometimes we need to say it as it is. What happened yesterday is not news. The Member of Parliament is not even in Parliament at this moment. The invitation through the Speaker only applies when there is a parliamentary sitting. The fact that you are an MP does not absolve you from arrest if you commit a crime. It is only a privilege, and that privilege is exercised through the Speaker.”

Nii Lante Vanderpuye described the uproar surrounding the attempted arrest as mere drama.

“What happened yesterday was a drama. The Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin—ask him whether he has not had an agreement with government officials on how to exercise this right. He had an agreement with our people that anytime any of his members were needed, he would voluntarily present them. I’m saying that the invitation to an MP through the Speaker applies only when Parliament is in session or when the MP is in their constituency carrying out parliamentary duties. You cannot be sitting in Accra as the MP for Assin South and claim that you’re working in Parliament.”

“I was handcuffed and put in the boot of a car as a sitting MP”

The NDC MP for the Odododiodio constituency, Hon. Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuye recounts his experience at the hands of the previous NPP administration in 2020, amidst widespread agitation from the NPP over the raid on… pic.twitter.com/GBLfCoRvnE

— SIKAOFFICIAL🦍 (@SIKAOFFICIAL1) April 10, 2025