The New Patriotic Party (NPP) yesterday brought Accra to a standstill with its “Yɛn Suro Ahunahuna” protest, mobilising hundreds of supporters to register their outrage over what they say is a systematic campaign of harassment, intimidation, and politically motivated arrests targeting opposition members.
The protest, which began at the Obra Spot at Kwame Nkrumah Circle, moved through the principal streets of the capital towards the Police Headquarters, where the party is set to present a petition to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Christian Tetteh Yohuno.
Clad in party colours and chanting patriotic songs, the demonstrators accused the police of abandoning professionalism and allowing themselves to become tools of government persecution. “This culture of intimidation will not break our resolve. Ghana’s democracy is bigger than any individual or government,” one party stalwart charged.
Echoes of Ghana’s Democratic Struggles
The NPP’s protest rekindles memories of similar opposition agitations in Ghana’s political history. In the 1990s, both the NPP and civil society organisations staged street demonstrations against what they described as state-sponsored intimidation under the Rawlings-led NDC government. More recently, the NDC itself organised the “Kum Yen Preko” protest in 2019 to highlight economic hardships and alleged political harassment.
Analysts note that these recurring confrontations highlight a persistent weakness in Ghana’s democratic culture — the tendency of governments to use state institutions, particularly security agencies, against political opponents.
Heavy Security Presence
Security was visibly beefed up, with armed police officers lining the protest route to forestall potential clashes. Despite the heavy presence, the march proceeded peacefully, though tensions remained high as protesters neared the Police Headquarters.
Warning Shot to Government
Party leaders stressed that the demonstration was not an isolated event but the beginning of a broader campaign to resist political persecution. “If the government believes that intimidation will silence us, they are mistaken. This march is only the first step,” an NPP national officer declared to rapturous applause.
As the NPP formally submits its petition to the IGP, political observers are watching closely to see how the government and police leadership respond. For many, the protest is more than a party affair — it is a test of Ghana’s commitment to fairness, justice, and the protection of civil liberties.
PETITION BY THE NEW PATRIOTIC PARTY TO THE OFFICE OF THE
PRESIDENT AND THE INSPECTOR GENERAL OF POLICE AGAINST THE
INCREASING SPATE OF STATE-SPONSORED HARRASSMENT OF
POLITICAL OPPONENTS AND THE RETURN OF THE CULTURE OF SILENCE
September 23, 2025
- The New Patriotic Party (NPP) submits this petition to your office to bring to your
attention the increasing spate of state-sponsored harassment of political opponents
particularly members of the party culminating in the gradual return of the dreaded
culture of silence. The Party hopes that by bringing these matters to your attention,
you will take the necessary steps to reverse this worrying situation in a bid to
safeguard our democracy as well as the nation’s peace and security. - Since the assumption of office of the John Mahama administration on January 7,
2025, the nation’s traditional and social media space has been replete with stories
of politically motivated harassments and intimidation of members of the opposition
as well as the suppressing of dissenting voices in the country including journalists
and social media activists who are critical of the government. - Regrettably, these acts of intimidation and harassment are being carried out by the
police and other security agencies who are working under the instruction of the NDC
government. In other words, the John Mahama administration has become
extremely intolerant of dissent and is bent on using state institutions including the
Judiciary, National Security, EOCO, NIB, and the police to clamp down on all
critical voices in the country. Ghana is witnessing a gradual return of the dreaded
culture of silence and the era of criminal libel despite the repeal of the criminal libel
law, which signaled the nation’s bold declaration in decriminalizing speech. - This development is not only disturbing but also represents a monumental betrayal
of the very democratic principles upon which Ghana was founded. State institutions
are being weaponized not in the fight against galamsey or to fight the growing
insecurity situation in parts of the country such as Bawku, Gbeniyiri, Nkwanta, etc.
Rather, these institutions of State are being used to settle personal scores, intimidate
and harass political opponents and clamp down on free speech. - Today, the police and national security operatives are more interested in arresting
and persecuting social media activists such as “Facebookers” and “Tiktokers” for
allegedly insulting public officials and making or posting disparaging remarks about
government officials than fighting insecurity in the country. Even in the so-called
application of the law, the police are being selective, arresting only perceived
members of the NPP whilst pretending not to see nor hear members of the NDC
who engage in similar or worse conduct. - We make mention of the unlawful arrest and detention of an NPP social media
activist by name, Daniel Adomako alias “Sir-Obama Pokuase” whom the police, in
a statement, claimed, was to assist them investigate a matter following a post he
made on his Facebook page. How do you arrest and detain somebody you claim is
assisting you in an investigation? We have also witnessed the arrest of veteran
journalist Okatakyie Afrifa Mensah, alongside Agyenkwaa Nana Kofi Asare
(Journalist, Wontumi TV), Gordon Asare Bediako ((Journalist, Wontumi TV),
Alfred Ababio (Adenta Kumi), Mohammed Amadou Zakou and several proopposition TikTokers, including FanteComedy, Yayra Adiw (North Tongu NPP
Women Organizer), Priscilla Duah Birago, and Charity Dede Tetteh (who were
arrested at Nhyiaso, Kumasi and were transferred to Accra and detained for 96 hours
before being arraigned before court), among others. - The most striking example is the recent Rambo-style arrest and detention of the
Bono Regional Chairman of the NPP, Kwame Baffoe ‘Abronye’ by the police for
allegedly insulting and making false claims against the Inspector General of Police,
Mr. Christian Tetteh Yohunu. Meanwhile, the law is that, if any Ghanaian including
the IGP feels defamed or falsely accused, his remedy in law is by way of civil suit
such as defamation and not criminal prosecution. An IGP should not be abusing his
office to settle personal scores with the very people he is supposed to protect. - Criminalization of speech has no place in a democracy, and certainly not when this
country went through the painstaking process of repealing the criminal and seditious
libel law in 2001. We cannot take one step forward and two steps backwards. - Beyond the increasing criminalization of speech and clamping down on dissent, we
are witnessing series of state-sponsored thuggery in the forms of midnight or dawnraids of the residences of some of the immediate past government officials including
the former governor of the Bank of Ghana and former Finance Minister by supposed
operatives of National Security and the National Investigative Bureau(BNI) some
of whom engage in theft when they embark on these raids at the homes of the former
government officials.
10.Even more concerning is the consistent flouting by the Security Agencies of the
Constitution of Ghana particularly Article 14 on the grant of bail to persons arrested
or detained. The Constitution requires that such persons be brought before court
within 48 hours or be released either unconditionally or upon reasonable conditions
as may be necessary to ensure they appear at a later date for trial. Thus, an accused
person who is not tried within reasonable time is entitled to bail irrespective of the
nature of the offense. - But today, NPP members who are arrested are being detained for over 48 hours in
flagrant disregard of their human rights. When the lawyers for these accused persons
request for bail from the security agencies, they are slapped with onerous bail
conditions that are virtually impracticable to meet, effectively denying them bail as
in the case of our Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako (Womtumi),
and former Buffer Stock CEO, Mr. Abdul-Wahab Hanan Aludiba and his wife who
were slapped with GH¢ 50 million and GH¢ 80 million bail conditions respectively.
Similar treatment has been meted out to others beyond the NPP, including Mr.
Percival Kofi Akpaloo, leader of the Liberal Party of Ghana, and Mr. Charles Nii
Armah (Shatta Wale), both of whom were subjected to bail conditions of GH¢10
million.
12.Furthermore, it is imperative to highlight the cases involving Hon. Ken Ofori-Atta
and Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid at the Office of the Special Prosecutor, which
depicts a classic example of political persecution. In addition, this same OSP also
arrested ace journalist, Mr. Paul Adom-Otchere under very bizarre circumstances.
These instances collectively underscore the abuse of power and the weaponization
of state agencies to intimidate and harass political opponents.
13.Meanwhile, the law in Ghana per Section 96 of the Criminal and Other Offenses
Procedure Act, (Act 30) and the Supreme Court decision in Okoe v The Republic;
Martin Kpebu v AG (No.2); as well as the Frank Benneh case, is that bail should
not be withheld merely as a punishment and that bail conditions must not be
unreasonable or onerous so as to amount to constructive refusal to grant it. This is
anchored on the constitutional principle enshrined in Article 19(2)(c) that a person
accused of committing an offense shall be presumed innocent until proven guilty.
However, under this John Mahama administration, such persons are rather presumed
guilty until they prove their innocence. We say this playout during the arrest of
Chairman Wontumi, Adu Boahen, Abdul Wahab Hannan and many others who are
perceived to be members of the NPP. - The Judiciary which is supposed to be the last vanguard of rule of law have also,
sadly, been captured by the Executive particularly after the unlawful removal of the
Chief Justice, Her Ladyship Justice Araba Torkonoo. Judges fear to dispense justice
according to the law because they fear that they may also suffer the same fate as
Justice Torkonoo. Judges are now telling us that we are all not equal before the law
and are quoting dictators like Idi Amin of Uganda to justify the unlawful detention
of citizens in a democracy. How pathetic!
15.There is a Ghana for NDC members and there is another Ghana for members of the
opposition. In the NDC Ghana, when the police effect arrests, nobody gets to see
the suspects being arrested; the suspects are not handcuffed; the suspects are not
remanded; the suspects are granted bail by the police within 24 hours. But, in the
NPP Ghana, persons accused of committing even misdemeanor offenses, are
arrested in Rambo-style, bundled up into police vehicles like notorious international
terrorists. They are presumed guilty until they prove their innocence. When they
appeal for bail, they are slapped with unreasonable bail conditions in order to keep
them in detention even before they are tried.
16.It would be recalled that we formally petitioned the Ghana police through the IGP
on 3rd September with a complaint of criminal conduct by National Vice Chairman
of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr. Awudu Sofo Azorka alias
Chairman Azorka and the NDC’s Constituency Communications Officer for
Abuakwa North, Abdul Wahab Amadu, against officers of the NPP including
Members of Parliament during the Akwatia by-election held on Tuesday, 2nd
September, 2025. They physically assaulted the NPP 3rd National Vice Chairman
and threatened the lives of the Minority Leader, Osahen Alexander Afenyo-Markin;
the Minority Chief Whip, Hon. Frank Annoh Dompreh and the NPP National
Organizer, Henry Nana Boakye. Till date, the police are yet to take any decisive
action on our petition despite the incontrovertible evidence we submitted to them.
OUR DEMANDS:
1) President Mahama and the NDC government should put an immediate stop to
the ongoing political harassment and persecution of our members.
2) There should be an immediate stop on the continuous criminalization of speech,
attacks on press freedom and the suppressing of dissenting voices in the country.
The intimidation and victimization of journalists and social media activists such
as ‘facebookers’ and ‘tiktoker’ who are critical of the government must end now.
3) The police should act on our petition and provide an update on the so-called
arrest of Chairman Azorka including details of his charges, bail conditions, and
the date of court hearings.
4) We demand that the Ghana Police Service and other security agencies
immediately put an end to the Rambo styled midnight arrests of opposition
members.
5) We call for the immediate arrest and prosecution of the NDC Constituency
Communications Officer for Abuakwa North, Abdul Wahab Amadu, for
threatening the lives of our leaders.
6) We demand immediate cessation of the continuous weaponization of state
institutions against perceived political opponents of the government
7) We call on the judiciary to rise to the occasion as the true vanguard of the rule
of law. The fundamental law of Ghana provides that all citizens are equal before
the law and must be treated fairly. The equality before the law principle applies
in full force whether you are an IGP or an Abronye and we expect our judges to
be bold and stand up against Executive interference in dispensing justice.
8) We call on all peace-loving Ghanaians and defenders of democracy particularly
CSOs, the media as well as traditional and religious leaders to join us in fighting
this growing state-sponsored tyranny and political persecution happening in the
country.
We, in the NPP, remain resolute in our commitment to uphold the rule of law, protect the
constitutional and human rights of citizens and restore public trust in our democratic
institutions.
Thank you.
