The leader and the flagbearer for the New Patriotic Party ahead of the 2028 General Elections, Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia, has raised serious concerns about the type of democracy and culture of free speech being practiced in this current administration.
According to Dr Bawumia, Democracy and Free speech are losing their value under this Mahama-led government, following the recent, numerous arrests of individuals belonging to the opposition party, NPP.
This follows after the arrest of the Agona West NPP constituency organizer, who was arrested for making a Facebook post, “Dumsor is Back” with the image of the president mounted on the billboard, with the caption ‘Dumsor is back’.
Read also:Â Why NPP must maintain Justin Frimpong Kodua as General Secretary.
And also, the shocking arrest of the Bono Regional NPP Chairman, Hon. Kwame Baffoe Abronye, who is currently remanded for 2 weeks following the court’s order.
Dr. Bawumia, upon looking at how some of the communicators in the NPP are being arrested every now and then for speaking truth to power, has shown a high sense of dissatisfaction and has heavily criticized the government of the day.
Bawumia believes that the continuous arrest of NPP communicators are government sponsored intimidating tactic to scare the opposition party communicators from speaking the truth to the people by exposing the lies and the incompetence of this current administration.
He therefore calls on the president to show maximum respect to ‘Democracy and Freedom of Speech’, as he believes what is happening today is actually sinking the democracy that Ghanaians have enjoyed for ages.
Check also: Teacher trainee & Nursing Trainee allowance is a waste of money – Kofi Asare
“I have observed with great concern the endless assault on the fundamental
rights of officers, activists, and supporters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) across the country by this National Democratic Congress (NDC) Government.
These attacks, arrests, detentions, and unconscionable bail conditions have been a persistent feature of the NDC Government since it took office on the
7th of January, 2025.
The latest of such acts of intimidation has been the arrest, detention, and subsequent release of David Essandoh for lamenting on social media about the return of dumsor, and the bizarre decision to put the NPP Bono Regional Chairman, Kwame Baffoe Abronye, into custody.
These actions undermine free speech and are setting Ghana’s democracy backwards. I condemn in the strongest of terms the unholy collaboration between the Executive, State investigative agencies, and some elements within the judiciary to use intimidation and harassment to silence members of the New Patriotic Party.
I, therefore, serve notice to officers of the State who are active participants in this unholy enterprise that the day of accountability will come, and the abuse of State power will be accounted for.
To Patriots around the country, I urge you all to stay firm by refusing to succumb to intimidation while continuing your civic duty to hold the Government accountable to its promises.
We fought hard for this democracy, and as a party, we cannot surrender it to intimidation from those who possess temporary power today”, he said in the statement.
