The Deputy General Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) Mr Mustapha Gbande has made a sudden U-turn and apologized to Ghanaians for urging them to arm themselves with cutlasses if they are going to vote in 2024.

Mustapha Gbande’s apology comes after he earlier said on Accra-based Okay FM “I have told the leadership of the NDC that we have to prepare in advance for the NPP ahead of the elections. when we are going to the polling station, let’s carry with us cutlasses. If we do, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) will not be able to misbehave toward us.”


In the interview when told that his statement was inciting the electorate, Mr Gbande insisted that the only way to guarantee a free and fair election in the view of the NDC is to arm themselves to the voting centres.

After his statement, people including those in the ruling party NPP and on social media have criticized him harshly for making such a comment.

However, speaking on Kumasi-based radio Angel FM in an interview monitored by MyNewsGH.com, Mr Gbande profusely apologized for his statement and took responsibility for it.

“I take the responsibility and I will apologize for it. And I’ll do so because it is part of me to accept when it is wrong”, Mr Gbande told Kwame Tanko in an interview.

But Mr Mustapha Gbande further said, “We will go back to the issues and scrutinise the issue of how the story started. You may also not be in a position as a newspaper to go and misquote somebody”.

Mr Gbande despite his apology, indicated that he was misquoted in the interview which sparked controversy.