Richard Jakpa, The Man Who Stopped NPP’s Electoral Fraud, Must Not Sleep Before 2028

In Ghana, there is a proverb that says, “If a blind man says he will throw stones at you, do not underestimate him; there must be a stone under his foot.” After everything the New Patriotic Party (NPP) did to Ghanaians and to the country- the money laundering, the collapsing of the economy, the financial bankruptcy of institutions, and the systematic state capture- yet they still dare to warn Ghanaians that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) will “suffer” when the NPP returns to power in 2028.

Such confidence suggests that the NPP is relying on something sinister, a lucrative criminal scheme they believe can return them to power regardless of public sentiment. The previous elections that forced the NDC into opposition were marred by fraudulent activities, many of which were linked to the Electoral Commission under Jean Mensa and her deputies.

Public records show that senior EC officials, including Bossman Asare and Samuel Tettey, were repeatedly accused of political partisanship, cronyism, abuse of office, and gross incompetence during their tenure, with seven separate petitions filed against them for “electoral mismanagement” and misconduct.

Their actions contributed to suspicious collation exercises, disputed constituency results, printing extra ballot papers, adding ghost names to the voter register, and allegations of stacking polling stations with partisan actors. These controversies formed the backdrop of the NPP’s electoral victories, especially in regions like Ashanti, where irregularities were often dismissed as “stronghold dynamics.”

Jean Mensa herself became the symbol of electoral controversy. Her handling of the 2020 presidential election remains one of the most disputed episodes in Ghana’s history. She declared the results multiple times, seven by some counts, each time presenting figures that contradicted earlier announcements, fuelling suspicion and anger among citizens.

She refused to enter the witness box during the election petition hearing, denying Ghanaians the opportunity to hear a direct explanation for the inconsistencies. Additional controversies included procurement irregularities, disenfranchisement concerns, abrupt closure of polls, exclusion of political parties from key IPAC meetings, and unresolved disputes such as the Techiman South parliamentary results, where no official collation sheet was ever produced.

Ghanaians had only partial knowledge of the NPP’s electoral fraud machinery until Richard Jakpa, a business executive and founder of Las Adventuras Ltd, was appointed Director of Special Operations at the National Security Secretariat in January 2025. In this role, Jakpa oversaw covert and overt security operations, including raids on former government officials. His appointment marked a turning point in exposing and crippling several planned electoral fraud schemes orchestrated by the NPP.

During the 2024 election cycle, the NPP’s internal operations revealed the extent of their desperation. Their constituency elections were marred by gunfire, physical assaults, destruction of ballot materials, and mysterious deletions from voter registers, clear indicators of a party willing to use violence and sabotage to secure power. In the Ashanti Region, vigilante groups were recruited to disrupt elections.

These incidents were not isolated; they were part of a broader strategy. According to security briefings and investigations, Jakpa’s team intercepted communications, monitored suspicious movements, and conducted pre‑emptive raids that prevented ballot stuffing, unauthorized register alterations, and the deployment of vigilante groups in targeted constituencies.

His operations reportedly aborted several planned fraud schemes, contributing significantly to the NDC’s victory in 2024. While many details remain classified, security sources confirm that Jakpa’s interventions disrupted coordinated attempts to manipulate collation centers, tamper with electoral materials, and intimidate voters in swing regions.

Yet despite all this, Jean Mensa remains in office. Her refusal to resign is widely interpreted as fear of investigations into procurement scandals, electoral inconsistencies, and her role in enabling partisan manipulation. With the current government intensifying corruption investigations, including high‑profile cases such as the imprisonment of Bernard Antwi Bosiako (Wontumi), Mensa understands that stepping down could expose her to scrutiny by the Attorney General, EOCO, or other investigative bodies.

This is precisely why Richard Jakpa must not wait until late 2027 or 2028 before activating full surveillance and preventive operations. The NPP has already begun its agenda, whether through crook, crime, or unprofessional means, to rig the next elections. Their aim is clear: bring Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia to power to halt ongoing corruption cases and shield politicians implicated from accountability.

If Jakpa delays, even for a moment, the NPP’s electoral fraud machinery could regain momentum, threatening Ghana’s democratic stability. Ghana cannot afford another stolen election. The stakes are too high, and the consequences too severe. If any of the NPP’s electoral fraud schemes succeed, the country risks returning to economic decay, institutional bankruptcy, and the politics of fear and impunity.

Richard Jakpa’s vigilance, integrity, and early intervention may be the thin line between a future of accountability and a return to organized criminality in government. As a nation, we have seen what happens when electoral crimes go unchecked. This time, Ghana is watching, and history will remember when the ex-military man called Richard Jakpa saved Ghanaians again by aborting another fraudulent electoral scheme of the NPP in 2028.