Sung Kpienta, the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) parliamentary candidate for Jirapa constituency in the 2016 elections, has publicly defected to the National Democratic Congress (NDC), citing disillusionment with the NPP’s governance.
In a post on his Meta page, the 24-year-old lawyer at the time of his candidacy announced his decision to abandon the NPP’s “Dankwa-Dombo-Busia tradition” for the NDC. “Some two or three years ago, after extensive discussions with my brothers Osman Ayariga Esq. and Julian Cobbina, I made the decision to formally join the National Democratic Congress,” part of the post read. Ayariga serves as Deputy National Youth Organizer for the NDC and CEO of the National Youth Authority, while Cobbina is the authority’s board chairman. Kpienta told Yiri News he registered as a card-bearing NDC member at his local branch and actively supported the party during the 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections.
Speaking briefly to Yiri News, Kpienta Esq criticized the NPP’s performance after its 2016 victory and subsequent eight-year rule. “The NPP fell short of its promises and ultimately let the people of Ghana down,” he said.
He emphasized that his political aspirations center on service to Ghana, which he described as “illusory” under a government that failed to prioritize ordinary citizens.
He used the platform to call on the youth of Ghana to register and join the National Democratic Congress. He believes the NDC is the political party with the people of Ghana at heart through which many young people can attain their aspirations.
Kpienta Esq. had won the NPP primaries in Jirapa in 2015, emerging as one of the party’s youngest candidates at age 24.
This high-profile switch underscores ongoing political realignments in Ghana’s Upper West Region ahead of future elections.
