Private legal practitioner and NDC communications team member, Nii Kpakpo Samoa Addo, has criticised the New Patriotic Party (NPP) for mishandling the narrative surrounding the procurement of aircraft during its time in government, saying the administration prioritised Akufo-Addo’s presidential comfort over operational and security needs.
Speaking on The Big Issue on Channel One TV on Saturday, November 22, 2025, Nii Kpakpo said former Defence Minister, Dominic Nitiwul failed to clearly communicate the real reasons for acquiring aircraft.
“The problem was the inability of the party to reduce the excesses of President Akufo-Addo. Every president has his excesses; it is the ability of the party to reduce these excesses. The executive is a very powerful position, so if you don’t have a party system to check them, you’ll have challenges—especially with a president with exotic taste like Nana Addo,” he said.
He contrasted the simplicity of past NDC leaders with the flamboyance often displayed by NPP figures.
“Our brothers in the NPP have exotic taste, and I think they should admit it—they have a taste for flamboyance. You will see an NDC president who ordinarily wouldn’t mind living simply, but they later become beneficiaries of the flamboyance of the NPP. Whenever the NPP comes to power, they have a taste for the extraordinary,” he said.
Nii Kpakpo also recounted that when former President John Agyekum Kufuor assumed office, he found Osu Castle unsuitable and initiated the construction of a new presidential palace, a project he intended to complete before leaving office.
The NDC communications official’s remarks come amid heated debate in Parliament over the Mahama administration’s plan to acquire six new aircraft for the Ghana Armed Forces—four helicopters and two executive planes—intended to support both executive and national operations.
While the Majority maintains that the aircraft are essential national assets, the Minority has criticised the plan, describing it as an example of misplaced priorities, particularly given the ongoing challenges facing public sector workers.
Nii Kpakpo’s comments highlight the partisan lens through which such procurement decisions are often viewed, and the perceived contrast between operational necessity and luxury or comfort.