Abena Osei-Asare, the former Deputy Finance Minister and Member of Parliament for Atiwa East, has boldly told President John Dramani Mahama to put his feet on the ground as things have gone haywire.
Osei-Asare made this known following the NPP’s presentation of a petition during the party’s “Democracy Under Attack” demonstration on Thursday, August 6, 2026.
According to Abena Osei-Asare, the NPP’s petition was intended to draw the President’s attention to what the party believes are growing concerns about governance and democratic accountability.
Speaking to the media, Abena Osei-Asare stated, “We are asking the President to look at the situation because things are not being done right. As citizens of this nation, we need to let him know, just in case he is not aware or just in case those around him are not telling him the truth”.
“Clearly, things have gone haywire, and he needs to put his foot down and do the right thing. That’s all we are asking of him”, she said.
“We are waiting for him to respond, and that is what a responsible President should do. We know he will do it and we are waiting for his response”, she added.
Mustapha Gbande, the Deputy Director of Operations at the Presidency, has said the petition submitted by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) during its “Democracy Under Attack” will not be read.
According to Mustapha Gbande, the NPP’s Democracy Under Attack” petition lacks merit and is unworthy of the government’s attention.
He argued that the John Dramani Mahama-led administration remains focused on governing the country and addressing the needs of Ghanaians.
Speaking in an interview on Joy FM on Thursday, August 6, 2026, Gbande stated, “I’ll assume that they have successfully demonstrated. Nobody is hurt. The police have been law-abiding; they protected them quite apart from their waywardness and ensured that whatever they intended had finished.”
“Let me assure you that that petition they have submitted, nobody is going to have time to read it because it doesn’t make sense, and nobody is going to waste time. We have a nation to build. We have a country to build.”
Mustapha Gbande’s comments came shortly after the NPP presented its petition to the Presidency.
Meanwhile, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, the Minority Leader, has expressed dissatisfaction with the government’s decision to assign only Presidential Staffer Nana Yaa Jantuah to receive its petition during the party’s “Democracy Under Attack” demonstration.
According to Afenyo-Markin, the government’s decision to assign only Presidential Staffer Nana Yaa Jantuah to receive its petition is disrespectful to the party.
He argued that the NPP had sent its key leadership to present the petition as a sign of respect to the government.
Afenyo-Markin noted that the decision to send only Nana Yaa Jantuah to receive the document did not reflect the seriousness of the concerns raised by the party.
He highlighted that the delegation included the Minority leadership in Parliament, the NPP General Secretary, the Chief of Staff of the party’s flagbearer, the Chairman of the party’s Constitutional Committee, Members of Parliament and other senior party officials.
The minority added that the government’s action suggested that it did not attach importance to the issues raised by the demonstration.
Speaking during the presentation of the petition at the Presidency on Thursday, August 6, Mr Afenyo-Markin stated, “With great respect and without prejudice to your presence, to nominate only you to come amounts to disrespecting us as a political party”.
“But to disrespect our democracy by only nominating you to come, it means the government does not take seriously the great issues before us,” he stated.
Watch the video below:
LIVE | “As a responsible President, when we present a petition, we expect him to receive it and respond accordingly,” says a concerned party member during the “Democracy Under Attack” demonstration. pic.twitter.com/vWhY1b9FVc
— DEK360Ghana🇬🇭 (@Dek360Ghana) August 6, 2026
“Mr President, walk the talk.” — Hon. Abena Asare delivers a message during the “Democracy Under Attack” demonstration, urging the President to match words with action. 🇬🇭 #GHNow pic.twitter.com/BpSN3jXspP
— GHnow (@ghnow_) August 6, 2026
@ghnow_ The NPP’s “Democracy Under Attack” demonstration took place earlier today, with thousands of party supporters, leaders, and Minority MPs taking to the streets to protest what they described as threats to Ghana’s democratic principles. The demonstration concluded with protesters presenting a petition at Jubilee House after a heavy police presence secured the area.
♬ original sound – GHnow
