NPP announces November 3 ‘Y3gye y3 Sika’ protest over South Africa evacuation and passport controversies

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has announced a nationwide demonstration on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, to demand the dismissal of Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa and investigations into controversies surrounding an evacuation exercise and the issuance of passports. The protest, dubbed “Y3gye y3 sika” , is intended to press the government for greater accountability over public expenditure on the evacuation and the issuance of diplomatic and service passports. Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, October 29, the NPP’s National Youth Organiser, Abanga Fuseini Yakubu, called on party supporters and other Ghanaians to participate in the demonstration. “The public money belongs to the people, so do the official documents of the Republic. The ministers hold them in trust, and when the trust is abused, it is the people who must rise and demand accountability,” he said. The NPP has accused the minister of wrongdoing in connection with the matters, but the allegations require investigation and should not be treated as established findings. Mr Yakubu said demonstrators would assemble at 6:00 a.m. at Villaggio, near the Tetteh Quarshie Interchange and opposite Accra Mall. The planned route will include a stop at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs before ending at Jubilee House, the seat of government. He urged the party’s youth organisers, constituency and polling station executives, women’s groups and other supporters to mobilise for the protest. Mr Yakubu also called for a peaceful demonstration, saying participants should remain disciplined and act within the law. “Our strength is in our numbers and our discipline, never in disorder,” he said. He added that the party would continue to demand answers until the issues were addressed. The party has outlined several demands, including the immediate dismissal of Mr Ablakwa as Foreign Affairs Minister. It is also calling for investigations by the Attorney-General and the Office of the Special Prosecutor, with the prosecution of the minister and any other officials found culpable. On the evacuation exercise, the NPP wants the government to publish the original invoices, contracts and proof of payment for all charter flights. It is further demanding the release of the full passenger manifest and beneficiary list to verify the reported evacuation of 1,964 Ghanaians, alongside an independent audit of the total expenditure. On passports, the party wants the publication of details of all diplomatic and service passports issued since January 2025, including the qualifying office or status of each recipient and the approving authority. It is also calling for the cancellation of any passports found to have been issued improperly. The planned demonstration marks a further escalation in the NPP’s criticism of Mr Ablakwa over the evacuation expenditure and passport-related controversies. The party has also called for the resignation of the Minister for Youth and Sports over a separate visa controversy that preceded the resignation of the National Sports Authority’s chief executive. The demonstration is scheduled for Tuesday, November 3, 2026.