Presidential staffer Rosemond Obeng, a former aide to the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) 2024 presidential candidate, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has defended her decision to leave the opposition party and join the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC), insisting that her move was motivated by patriotism rather than personal gain.
Speaking in a video shared by 1957News on June 25, 2026, Obeng dismissed claims that she defected to the NDC in pursuit of political appointments or other personal benefits, saying her decision was driven by a desire to protect Ghana’s future.
“What I did was to rescue the soul of the country. And it’s sad that some people think I did it for personal interest. It was to rescue the soul of this country, and I say this with so much passion,” she said.
Obeng, who was recently appointed as a presidential staffer by President John Dramani Mahama, stressed that she never negotiated for any position before joining the NDC.
“I am NDC now and I will continue to stay with the umbrella until I die. What happened was nothing cosmetic. I didn’t cut any deal with anybody. I just spoke my truth. I never imagined there would be a time I would be rewarded with an opportunity to serve or be part of an NDC administration. It never came to mind,” she stated.
Her remarks come amid continued public debate over her highly publicised exit from the NPP ahead of the 2024 general elections and her subsequent alignment with the NDC.
Explaining the reasons behind her decision, Obeng said she believed it was necessary to alert Ghanaians to what she described as the dangers of allowing the NPP to remain in power.
“I just did that to speak my truth. I did not know what would happen, but it was important to let people know that there was something seriously wrong with leaving the destiny of this country in the hands of the NPP and my former boss. There was everything wrong with that,” she said.
Obeng acknowledged that her decision attracted intense criticism from supporters of her former party, with many accusing her of betrayal during a crucial election period.
Despite the backlash, she maintained that she has no regrets.
“Do I have any regrets? If I’m sad about anything, it’s the fact that my actions were driven by good faith, yet some people see me as a betrayer, a snitch and many other things. But that is far from the truth,” she said.
She also sought to clarify the timeline of her departure from Dr Bawumia’s camp, stating that she had resigned from her role months before publicly endorsing the NDC.
“Let me also correct a misconception. I had resigned from working with him long before the elections. I had been away for several months. It was important for me to come out publicly because people needed to know that I was no longer with the NPP,” she explained.
According to Obeng, her public declaration was intended to eliminate any doubts about her political affiliation and to warn Ghanaians against what she believed would have been a costly decision if the NPP had retained power.
“Most importantly, I wanted Ghanaians to understand that if they entrusted the country’s future to the NPP, we would all regret it. That is why I spoke out. People ask whether it was because of the election. No. I was already with the NDC and working with the NDC, but after being away for so many months, it was important to provide that clarity,” she added.
