Drama marked the opening of the 2026 State of the Nation Address on Friday, February 27, as members of the Minority Caucus staged a protest in Parliament moments before the President rose to speak.
The lawmakers, drawn from the New Patriotic Party (NPP), stood up from their seats dressed in black and wearing sashes with the inscription “Cocoa Akuafo Yɛyɛ Mɔbɔ Dodo.” Some of them held cocoa pods as a symbol of what they described as the growing distress within Ghana’s cocoa sector.
Their action was intended to highlight concerns about falling production levels, challenges confronting cocoa farmers, and recent producer price reductions.
Protest in the Chamber
The Minority MPs chanted songs inside the chamber, briefly interrupting the solemn atmosphere that typically characterises the annual address. The display of black attire, they explained, was symbolic of mourning for cocoa farmers who they believe are struggling under current economic conditions.
The protest unfolded just before John Dramani Mahama began delivering his constitutionally mandated address to Parliament.
Call for Urgent Intervention
According to the Minority, the demonstration was meant to push government to treat the cocoa sector as an urgent national priority. Cocoa remains one of Ghana’s key export commodities and a major source of income for thousands of farming households.
Despite the disruption, parliamentary proceedings continued, and President Mahama proceeded to present his assessment of the nation’s condition and outline government’s policy direction for the year ahead.