The leadership of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the United Kingdom (UK) has clarified that Mr. Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko did not state that the NPP parliamentary (MPs) caucus in the Ashanti Region prefers community roads to flyovers in the region.
The clarification is contained in a statement issued by the executive committee of the New Patriotic Party (NPP)-UK today, Monday, 6 October 2025, in response to an earlier statement issued by the NPP Ashanti Region Parliamentary Caucus. The statement was signed by Kingsley Adumattah Agyapong (Wofa K), the Chairman of NPP-UK.
Asaase News checks show that Mr Otchere-Darko, who was on a private visit to Birmingham, UK, last Saturday, 4 October 2025, was invited by the NPP-UK that very morning to the inauguration of new executives for the NPP Birmingham Chapter. An invitation he honoured as a former member of the NPP UK Branch—before his relocation to Ghana 25 years ago.
“The United Kingdom Branch of the New Patriotic Party (NPP-UK) has taken note of a statement issued by the Ashanti Regional NPP Parliamentary Caucus regarding remarks attributed to Mr. Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, former Executive Director of the Danquah Institute, during his interaction with members of the NPP Birmingham Chapter.
“We have also observed a flyer circulating on social media falsely quoting Mr. Otchere-Darko as having said that “Ashanti MPs failed their people.” This is entirely untrue and a gross distortion of his words.
“For the avoidance of doubt, Mr. Otchere-Darko did not say that Ashanti MPs preferred community roads to flyovers. His reference was made within the context of Ghana’s severe economic challenges at the time, when several projects being financed through external loans had to be suspended.
“He cited an instance (without naming any MP) where an individual MP argued that, under the constrained fiscal circumstances, the immediate priority should be the construction of more community roads rather than a flyover,” the statement read.
“His point was not to blame or discredit Ashanti MPs but to illustrate the difficult trade-offs the government faced when revenue and borrowing options became limited. He explicitly stated that he knew the NPP government wished it had done more for the Ashanti Region, while cautioning against narratives that claim the region was “neglected.”
“He reminded the audience that politics is a “competitive and comparative game” and urged party members to show humility about where we fell short, but not to “knock ourselves down,” especially as we prepare for a stronger return in 2028,” the NPP-UK statement further read.
The NPP-UK statement went on to further explain that their guest, Mr. Otchere-Darko, “also made the vital point that while the 2024 loss was huge, it does not mean that the nation has shifted to the NDC.”
They quoted Gabby as stating that, “although about 1.7 million new voters were added to the electoral roll, the NDC, despite improving its percentage share in Ashanti, could not increase its actual number of votes there by even 30,000.”
“This, he explained, should encourage the NPP to be confident about its prospects, provided that lessons are learned and the proper strategic adjustments are made.
“Mr. Otchere-Darko’s remarks were, in fact, uplifting and forward-looking. He urged NPP members to regain confidence, avoid self-pity, and recognise that the NPP’s record, which we delivered under one of the most difficult global economic periods, remains commendable and unmatched in many areas.
“He also empathised deeply with Ghanaians for the hardships endured and praised Ghanaian bondholders as ‘war heroes’ who made personal sacrifices to stabilise the economy we have today,” the NPP-UK statement read.
The statement ended by thanking Mr. Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, a former member of the NPP UK Branch, for accepting their invitation, “on very short notice, to speak at the swearing-in ceremony of the new Birmingham Chapter executives. His address inspired reflection, unity, and renewed commitment to the cause of the Party.
“We equally commend our Parliamentary leadership, the Mighty Minority, for their steadfast service to the Party and the Republic, and we extend special appreciation to the Ashanti Parliamentary Caucus for their continued dedication to the NPP’s growth in the region.
“With such leadership, we are confident that the NPP will rise stronger and secure victory in 2028 to continue delivering for the people of Ghana,” the NPP- UK statement concluded.
