By Issah Olegor
Madina NDC Member of Parliament Francis-Xavier Kojo Sosu collapsed while delivering an address at a public event at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) on Thursday afternoon, days after making controversial remarks about the presidential ambitions of former Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia.
The incident occurred at about 2:15pm at the Graduate Block Auditorium, where Sosu had been invited as a guest speaker at a Students’ Representative Council-organised programme.
Video footage from the event showed the NDC MP speaking on stage before appearing to become weak and struggling to continue his address. He subsequently collapsed, prompting officials at the event to rush to his assistance.
The SRC President and Vice President moved quickly to the dais and helped Sosu off the stage as attendees looked on.
Reports indicate that the MP was subsequently taken for medical attention and was responding to treatment. However, at the time of reporting, there had been no official statement about the MP’s medical condition, and the exact cause remained unknown.
The incident has attracted considerable attention because Sosu had been at the centre of a political controversy over remarks he made about Dr Bawumia’s presidential ambitions.
MP’s controversial Bawumia prediction
Earlier in September, Sosu told an audience at NDC event at GIMPA that Dr Bawumia should abandon his presidential ambition because, in his view, the former Vice President would not become President of Ghana.
“Bawumia should forget about his presidential ambition… he will never become President in Ghana,” Sosu was quoted as saying.
The Madina MP reportedly based his position on what he described as the record of Dr Bawumia and the previous Akufo-Addo administration, particularly the economic management of the country during their tenure.
The remarks generated debate because Dr Bawumia, who served as Vice President from 2017 to 2025, remains a major figure within the New Patriotic Party and has previously sought the party’s presidential nomination.
Sosu’s comments were consequently interpreted by political opponents and commentators as an unusually categorical prediction about the future electoral prospects of an opposition politician.
Political backlash
The comments also revived arguments about the unpredictability of Ghanaian politics. Critics of Sosu have pointed to previous instances in which political actors made categorical statements about the presidential ambitions of opponents, only for subsequent elections to produce different outcomes.
In particular, NPP supporters have drawn comparisons with the political history of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who eventually became President after years of unsuccessful presidential bids despite strong opposition to his candidacy.
The debate was also taken to a public forum when Sosu appeared at the National Emerging Leaders’ Economic Forum at the University of Professional Studies, Accra, on September 21.
The controversy surrounding his comments has therefore continued to follow him in public engagements.
Sosu remains active on national issues
The Madina MP has in recent weeks remained vocal on several national issues, including the government’s response to the cocaine trafficking controversy.
Following the seizure of nearly 3.9 tonnes of cocaine by French authorities from a container that arrived from Ghana, Sosu called for a thorough investigation and urged that anyone found culpable should be prosecuted. He also warned that the incident could damage Ghana’s international reputation.
He has also criticised aspects of the government’s communication strategy, arguing that the NDC needs to strengthen its communications machinery and move from what he described as a defensive posture to a more proactive one.
On Thursday, September 24, hours before his collapse was reported, Sosu was also quoted in a separate matter involving the attempted arrest of Manhyia South MP Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah.
Speaking on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem, he questioned the basis for the Economic and Organised Crime Office’s attempted arrest of the Manhyia South MP and argued that law-enforcement agencies must follow due process when pursuing suspects.
