 has refuted allegations of engaging in a contractual relationship with a Ukrainian public relations firm){kind=link}
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has refuted allegations of engaging in a contractual relationship with a Ukrainian public relations firm, Brandcom, on a smear campaign against John Mahama.
According to the NPP, the allegations are completely false, baseless, and defamatory.
The NPP boldly emphasised that they have no contractual relationship with Brandcom, past or present.
In a press statement issued on August 3, 2025, the NPP stated, “At no point did the leadership of the NPP engage, authorise, or instruct any foreign agency to operate fake social media accounts, produce smear campaign content, or undertake any unethical digital activities during the 2024 presidential campaign or any other cycle”.
“We reject any insinuation that undermines our record of issue-based campaigning and respect for democratic norms,” the statement added.
“Furthermore, the NPP views this publication as a deliberate attempt to tarnish the image of the party and sow public distrust. We demand an immediate retraction of the false claims and reserve the right to pursue legal action against Brandcom and any media outlet that publishes or republishes these unsubstantiated allegations”, it added.
The NPP statement comes after a Ukrainian PR firm, Brandcom, threatened to sue the party after unpaid services $280,000, aimed allegedly at discrediting John Mahama during the 2024 elections.
According to Brandcom, the then-ruling NPP employed them to run a campaign against the NDC flagbearer John Mahama.
Brandcom claimed that its work involved managing a large network of fake social media accounts, a total of 430 and creating 87 memes and infographics mocking Mahama’s key campaign promise of establishing a 24-hour economy.
The Ukrainian PR firm alleged that it created four videos criticising the outcome of Mahama’s first presidential term.
The entire campaign, Brandcom says, constituted a coordinated media assault across Ghanaian outlets. Brandcom now claims the NPP has refused to pay its bill after they lost the 2024 elections.
Brandcom is now seeking legal redress, demanding not only the original $280,000 fee but also late payment penalties and coverage of legal expenses.
They have also threatened to release evidence of their collaboration with the NPP, including recorded conversations with party representatives.
In addition, an analysis of the social media accounts that spread negative content about John Mahama in 2024 revealed a troubling pattern with accounts that had previously posted pro-Ukraine content and criticism of Russia during the war.
The information gathered from Ghana Chronicles also uncovered technical evidence. Metadata from some of the promotional materials used against Mahama included IP addresses registered in Kyiv.
The campaign’s targeting strategies, particularly aimed at Ghana’s youth, were nearly identical to those Brandcom has used in political campaigns for Ukrainian clients.
The cumulative evidence of identical operational methods, Kyiv-based IP addresses, prior account activity, and the agency’s own statements strongly supports Brandcom’s involvement in the anti-Mahama campaign.
It is yet to be known the full extent of NPP’s collaboration with foreign operatives, and how this might affect public trust in Ghanaian politics.
In a related story, the NPP were also exposed some months ago for deploying over 170 fake X accounts to spread false AI-generated messages against the NDC and John Mahama.
McKenzie Sadeghi, an editor of AI and foreign influence at NewsGuard who contributed to the research, told Rest of World, “The primary goal of the network appears to be to amplify pro-NPP messaging, promote the Bawumia administration and take aim at the opposition National Democratic Congress.”
The director of research and development at the NewGuard revealed in an interview that fake accounts tend to post at “regular” and “predictable” intervals, often ten or more times per day. He added that in Ghana, the fake accounts tend to be lively between 8 am and 6 pm.
The fake accounts have AI-generated profile photos, and have names such as “Glenn Washington,” “Netflix Series&Movies,” and “Patriot” They also belittle John Mahama, the presidential candidate from the National Democratic Congress using hashtags such as #mahamaisaliar and #DrunkmaniMahama, accusing Mahama of being a drunkard, which John Mahama has since denied.