The political scene in Ghana has been set ablaze following claims made by Vincent Ekow Assafuah, the Member of Parliament for Old Tafo, alleging that President John Dramani Mahama used a private jet to travel to Japan and Singapore.
In a detailed social media post, the MP claimed that the private jet, with registration M-BAEP, departed Accra at approximately 7:00 a.m., and estimated that the total cost of the trip could reach a staggering $690,000.
According to Assafuah, this amount was based on the estimated hourly rental cost of $15,000 and the duration of each leg of the journey—raising concerns over spending and transparency.
However, the claim quickly drew fiery rebuttals, especially from members and supporters of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), who wasted no time debunking what they termed a “laughable fabrication.”
Prominent among the critics was Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Stan Xoese Dogbe, who slammed the MP in a scathing Facebook post.
“This one here will also demand to be called ‘Honourable’! Even if you are not street smart, it doesn’t take that much brain work to avoid embarrassing yourself, or?” Dogbe wrote, adding that President Mahama was publicly seen between 10:30 a.m. and 12:45 p.m. at a thanksgiving mass for Dr Edward Omane Boamah at Christ the King Parish in Accra.
“Did he take off in the supposed jet at 7.00 a.m. and flew back for the 10.30 a.m. mass?” he asked sarcastically. “Vincent Ekow Assafuah, invest in reading and how to be politically relevant and stop disgracing MPs.”
The internet, particularly X (formerly Twitter), exploded with reactions under hashtags like #ResettingGhana and #PrivateJetSaga, with several users mocking the MP’s logic and questioning his motives.
Civil society figures like Franklin Cudjoe also waded into the debate, asking bluntly: “Are you sure the President flew a private jet?”
While the Office of the President has yet to issue an official response, the party headquarters on Facebook dismissed the allegations as “baseless” and “another poorly coordinated distraction.”
Assafuah, for his part, has not backed down, insisting that the jet’s flight path supports his assertion and that Ghanaians deserve accountability on public spending—despite Mahama no longer holding public office.
Political analysts, however, warn that such inflammatory claims, without clear evidence, could further polarize an already divided political landscape
