{
  "id": 12198468,
  "title": "Prof. Oquaye backs Kojo Bamba’s election, says NPP needs men to protect ballot",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/05/prof-oquaye-backs-kojo-bambas-election-says-npp-needs-men-to-protect",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-05T17:01:15.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Ghanaian Times",
    "slug": "ghanaian-times",
    "url": "https://ghanaiantimes.com.gh/prof-oquaye-backs-kojo-bambas-election-says-npp-needs-men-to-protect-ballot/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Former Speaker of Parliament, Professor Mike Oquaye, has expressed his support for the election of former Delta Force leader Kojo Ofosu Boadu, also known as Kojo Bamba, as the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) First Vice Chairman. Oquaye stated that the NPP needs individuals capable of safeguarding their votes during elections. After the passage of the Vigilantism and Related Offences Act, the NPP had previously disbanded its security groups and entrusted election security to the Ghana Police Service. However, Oquaye expressed concerns about the capacity of the police to protect ballot boxes and maintain peaceful elections during the 2024 general election, alleging that members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) had seized ballot boxes, assaulted people, and disrupted voting during the election. While he did not advocate for the re-establishment of a separate security system, Oquaye believed that the NPP should be prepared to defend itself if the state security agencies failed to protect its supporters. He emphasized that although the NPP should not be perceived as reinstating its former vigilante groups, the party possesses individuals capable of responding to threats, and this discussion should not be reduced to \"machoism\" in Ghanaian politics. When directly asked about his support for a protective group within the NPP, Oquaye emphasized the necessity of addressing the events of the previous election and stressed the importance of protecting Ghana's peace, ensuring that no political party believed it held a monopoly over violence or intimidation.",
  "summary": "Former Speaker of Parliament, Professor Mike Oquaye, has backed the election of former Delta Force leader Kojo Ofosu Boadu, affectionately called Kojo Bamba as the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) First Vice Chairman, saying the party needs people who can protect its votes during elections. According to Prof. Oquaye on Joy FM today, the NPP had … The post Prof. Oquaye backs Kojo Bamba’s election, says…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}