The Minority Caucus in Parliament has accused the Mahama administration of covertly sponsoring supporters to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, despite President John Dramani Mahama’s public assurance that the state would not finance fans’ travel to the tournament.
The allegation was made at a press conference addressed by the Deputy Minority Chief Whip, Habib Iddrisu, on Tuesday, June 9.
According to Mr. Iddrisu, government officials and members of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) are acting in ways that contradict the President’s stated position on the matter.
“Why is it the case that the president is saying something, but the Ministry of Youth and Sports is doing something else?” he questioned.
The Deputy Minority Chief Whip claimed that each NDC Member of Parliament has been allocated two slots for prospective travellers to the World Cup. He further alleged that District Chief Executives (DCEs) across the country have been directed to distribute three slots per constituency.
Mr. Iddrisu argued that if the government has truly decided not to sponsor supporters, such allocations raise serious questions about transparency and fairness in the selection process.
“They said they are not sponsoring supporters to go to the World Cup, but they are giving NDC MPs two slots each, and they are giving their constituencies three slots through the DCEs,” he stated.
He added that the arrangement creates the perception that opportunities to attend the tournament are being distributed along partisan lines, thereby undermining the government’s official position.
The Minority MP also expressed concern about the impact on Ghana’s international image, citing difficulties Ghanaian applicants are facing with visa approvals at the American embassy.
“If you go to the American embassy today, over a thousand people have applied, but they have issued fewer than a hundred visas… because the right thing has not been done, they are not properly screened, and when they do things like that, it dents the image of Ghana,” he noted.