The National Youth Wing of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has called for an immediate and thorough investigation into the tragic incident that occurred at the El-Wak Sports Stadium in Accra on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, during a Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) recruitment exercise.
In a statement signed by the National Youth Organizer, Salam Mustapha, the NPP Youth Wing expressed grief over the reported deaths of six young applicants, though some reports claim the number could be as high as twelve who lost their lives in a stampede during the exercise.
The statement described the incident as “very unfortunate” and unacceptable in the current era of advanced technology, adding that videos circulating on social media showed thousands of young people struggling to secure positions during the screening process.
The Youth Wing also raised concern about the number of applicants who traveled long distances to participate in the exercise.
“We are disturbed by the videos trending on social media in which thousands of young Ghanaians are seen struggling to go through and stand at an advantageous position. Even more worrying is the fact that so many people had to journey from far and near across the country to the venue,” the statement said.
The NPP Youth Wing has therefore urged the caretaker Minister of Defense to immediately commission an investigation to determine what led to the stampede.
The statement questioned whether adequate crowd control measures were in place, and why the exercise was not conducted in batches given the large number of applicants.
“What crowd control measures were put in place? Why was this not done in batches as the number of applicants was known? Did the officers on duty at the time mishandle the applicants in a way that triggered the stampede? There are too many questions begging for answers,” the statement added.
Mr. Mustapha emphasized the need for an inquest to prevent future tragedies of this nature, noting that the affected youth were only seeking opportunities to serve their nation and support their families.
He extended his condolences to the bereaved families and wished the injured a speedy recovery.
The NPP Youth Wing said it was counting on the prompt action of the authorities to ensure accountability and prevent a recurrence of such a tragedy.
