FACT-CHECK: John Boadu falsely claims less than 10 NPP MPs from 2016 are still in Parliament 

Claim: Out of 169 NPP MPs that went to parliament in 2016, there are less than 10 of them still in the lawmaking chamber after the 2024 polls.

Source: John Boadu, former General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party

Verdict: False!

Researched by Samuel Nii Adjetey

A former General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), John Boadu, has made a claim suggesting that out of the 169 Members of Parliament (MPs) elected on the party’s ticket in 2016, fewer than 10 remain in parliament after the 2024 elections. 

He made this statement during an interview on Otec FM on February 8, 2025, lamenting the party’s declining parliamentary representation. The assertion, which implies a significant drop in the NPP’s parliamentary seats over two election cycles, has sparked debates about the accuracy of the claim. 

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“We don’t need constituency executives, polling station executives, regional executives, or national executives, yet the party needs to be managed and we have to strategize.

“Are you not surprised that out of 169 MPs who were in parliament in 2016, there are now less than 10 in the current Parliament? The numbers have reduced drastically within just two election cycles,” he said.  

At the time of filing this report, the video as shared on YouTube had attracted 12,000 views with 30 comments. This report seeks to verify the accuracy of Boadu’s claim about MPs who were in Parliament in 2016 and have retained their seats in 2020 and 2024. 

Fact-check: 

To verify the claim by John Boadu, GhanaFact reviewed the 2016, 2020, and 2024 election results by the Electoral Commission (EC).

 In the 2016 general elections, the NPP won a historic 169 out of 275 parliamentary seats, securing an overwhelming majority in Ghana’s legislature. However, the party saw a decline in 2020, losing 32 seats and ending up with a closely contested 137 seats apiece with the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC). That poll outcome resulted in the first hung parliament under the Fourth Republic. 

The 2024 elections further reshaped Ghana’s political landscape with the NDC sweeping over 180 seats with the NPP getting 88 seats.

GhanaFact used the list of NPP MPs in the current Parliament, noting that the individual profiles of MPs come with which previous Parliaments they have served in aside the current 9th Parliament.

An MP who served in the 7th and 8th Parliaments must have won the 2016 and 2020 elections. A typical example is of the current Minority Leader and MP for Effutu, Alexander Afenyo-Markin who has been in Parliament since 2012 – meaning he has served in the 6th, 7th, 8th and is now serving in the 9th Parliament.

A regional breakdown of NPP MPs who won their parliamentary seats in 2016, 2020 and 2024

Ashanti Region – 11

Eastern Region – 5

Greater Accra Region – 1

Central Region – 1

Western – 1

Northern Region – 1

 The data above shows that out of the 169 NPP MPs elected in 2016, at least 20 have retained their seats through both the 2020 and 2024 elections. 

These MPs include key figures such as Alexander Afenyo-Markin (Effutu), Abena Osei Asare (Atiwa East), Dominic Nitiwul (Bimbilla) and Kojo Oppong Nkrumah (Ofoase-Ayirebi). 

Additionally, constituencies like Effiduase-Asokore, Bosomtwe, and Takoradi have remained under the same NPP representation, further disproving the claim.  

The data contradicts John Boadu’s statement, proving that the NPP has retained more than 10 of its 2016 MPs. 

John Boadu, in an interview with GhanaFact admitted that he did not have the full facts when he made the claim. He stressed that the comment was roundly to highlight the NPP’s losses over three election cycles rather than getting specific numbers correctly.

Verdict:

Therefore, the claim is rated False. 

NOTE: The report has been updated to reflect a reaction from the former NPP General Secretary.