By: Franklin ASARE-DONKOH
In a dramatic show of defiance during the 2026 State of the Nation Address (SONA), delivered by President John Dramani Mahama, Minority Members of Parliament (NPP) stormed the chamber, brandishing cocoa pods and wearing black sashes to protest the government’s economic policies.
The protest, led by Minority Leader Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin, targeted President Mahama’s second-term administration following recent cocoa producer price cuts and rising utility costs.
The Minority MPs held up cocoa pods to symbolise the “betrayal” of over a million farmers who are facing a significant reduction in producer prices, “Cocoa Haircut”: for the 2025/2026 season.
The opposition argued the President’s claim that “Ghana is back” ignores the “bread and butter” realities of high inflation and depleting prepaid electricity credits.
Dressed in black with “Yayɛ Mobɔ” (We are sad) sashes, the caucus sought to highlight what they termed a national crisis beneath the government’s optimistic rhetoric.
However, President Mahama, in a quick response during his address, debunked the minority’s claim, insisting that the Ghanaian economy is stabilising and returning to growth.
He asserted that his administration’s “Accra Reset” measures are yielding tangible results after inheriting a state of “gross economic mismanagement”.
