Rosemond Obeng Defects from NPP to NDC, Criticizes Former Boss Dr. Bawumia

Rosemond Obeng, the former National TESCON Coordinator and assistant to Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has made headlines for switching allegiance to the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) just days before Ghana’s general elections.

Her defection adds to the growing list of prominent political figures who have shifted loyalty between the two major parties in Ghana, with Obeng joining individuals like Alhaji Inusah Issaka, Kakra Essamuah, and Frances Essiam.

In an appearance on GHOne’s State of Affairs program, Rosemond Obeng revealed that her decision to leave the NPP was due to her belief that Dr. Bawumia lacks the necessary leadership qualities to lead the country effectively. “We require crucial leadership, and I am aware that my former boss is unable to provide it. We get bad results, output, and performance from bad leadership,” she said, citing her personal experience working closely with Dr. Bawumia.

Her defection and subsequent remarks have sparked significant backlash on social media, with many questioning her loyalty and motives, especially considering that just two years ago, she publicly expressed gratitude towards Dr. Bawumia for supporting her further studies.

Obeng’s defection follows a pattern seen in Ghanaian politics, where key figures from both the NPP and NDC have switched parties, often causing political ripples. In 2005, Frances Essiam, the former National Women’s Organiser of the NDC, also left the party after an alleged assault by party supporters, later joining the NPP. Perhaps the most controversial defection occurred in the 1990s when Alhaji Inusah Issaka, after accusing the NPP of rigging the 1996 elections, joined the NDC, leading political analysts to label him as a “political prostitute.”

Rosemond Obeng’s defection has drawn attention as she shifts from her previous position close to the NPP leadership to publicly criticizing Dr. Bawumia. It remains to be seen how this will influence the political landscape in the lead-up to the December elections.