Parliament has issued detailed guidelines for media coverage of the State of the Nation Address (SONA) to be delivered on Friday, February 27, 2026, by President John Dramani Mahama.
In a notice addressed to all editors, the Parliamentary Service said the address will be delivered in accordance with Article 67 of the 1992 Constitution. It stressed that strict accreditation and security protocols will be enforced.
According to the guidelines, journalists who are not members of the Parliamentary Press Corps but intend to cover the event must submit their accreditation applications to the Director of Media Relations by Tuesday, February 24, 2026. Failure to obtain accreditation will result in denial of access to Parliament House.
Parliament further directed that accreditation tags must be conspicuously displayed at all times during the event, and journalists are required to restrict their activities to designated areas as indicated on their accreditation.
The Speaker’s Lobby has been declared out of bounds for photography, interviews, and all other media-related engagements. Media personnel have also been encouraged to rely on the clean feed that will be provided for rebroadcast in order to reduce congestion in the public gallery.
All interviews and live broadcasts are to be conducted at the foyer on the ground floor of the Chamber block at Parliament House. Space allocation in the foyer will be on a first-come, first-served basis, while all reporters and their equipment will be subject to security screening.
Parliament noted that the public gallery has been reserved for guests and urged media houses to limit their activities to the press gallery as much as possible.
“All media outlets and reporters must strictly comply with these directions as part of the security measures in place to ensure the success of the event,” the statement said.
For further information, media organisations have been advised to contact the Director of Media Relations, David Sebastian Damoah, whose office signed the guidelines.
The State of the Nation Address is a key constitutional event at which the President outlines the government’s assessment of the country’s condition and its policy priorities for the year ahead.
