NDC must not fail ORAL pledge – Lawyer Brako-Powers

Private legal practitioner Austin Kwabena Brako-Powers has said that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) risks losing the 2028 election if it fails to fulfill its flagship anti-corruption initiative, Operation Recover All Loots (ORAL).

He emphasized that the NDC’s 2028 election chances could be severely undermined if the ORAL pledge is not fully delivered, stressing that the party relied heavily on the policy during the 2024 campaign to win public trust. “But here is the catch: the NDC faces an inherent risk in the next election if they are unable to implement the ORAL policy,” he told 3FM’s Midday News on Monday, September 8.

According to Mr Brako-Powers, doubts about the NDC’s ability to honor the ORAL pledge have already begun to surface, and failure to act decisively will expose the party to backlash in 2028. He cited revelations by NDC General Secretary Fifi Kwetey, who accused some party lawyers of attempting to “cut deals” with individuals facing prosecution, as evidence that the promise is being compromised.

His caution followed Mr Kwetey’s assurance that the government would not bow to internal or external pressure to weaken its anti-corruption drive.

Mr Brako-Powers, who is also a synthetic AI researcher, added that the Attorney-General, Dr Dominic Ayine, had “set the wrong tone” by discontinuing certain corruption-related cases involving NDC members. He argued that selective prosecutions undermine public trust. “The government cannot pick and choose. You can’t say, ‘I am discontinuing cases against NDC members’ and yet go ahead and prosecute persons from another party,” he cautioned.

He further warned that unless the government demonstrates a genuine commitment to ORAL, public confidence could erode quickly. “I don’t see them fighting corruption as they promised us,” he added, stressing that such a perception would severely hurt the NDC’s chances in the 2028 general election.

The Operation Recover All Loots (ORAL) initiative was launched by the NDC as a flagship anti-corruption policy aimed at recovering state funds and assets allegedly siphoned by public officials and politically exposed individuals. Introduced during the 2024 campaign, it was positioned as a bold, non-partisan strategy to restore trust in governance and strengthen accountability.