The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has condemned the arrest of its Bono Regional Chairman, Kwame Baffoe, popularly known as Abronye, describing it as political harassment by the Mahama administration.
In a statement signed by General Secretary Justin Kodua Frimpong, the Party said the detention of Abronye for allegedly insulting the Inspector General of Police, Christian Tetteh Yohunu, reflects a disturbing trend of intimidation against opposition members.
“The New Patriotic Party condemns in the strongest terms the arrest and detention of the Bono Regional Chairman of the Party, Kwame Baffoe, alias ‘Abronye’, by the police for allegedly
insulting the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Christian Tetteh Yohunu. The Party notes rather disturbingly that the persecution of Chairman Abronye is the latest instalment of the growing
pattern of politically motivated intimidation and harassment of its members for being critical of the NDC government.
The NPP accused the government of weaponising state security to silence dissent instead of tackling pressing issues such as illegal mining and rising insecurity.
It also warned that the use of criminal prosecution to police speech was a return to the “culture of silence” Ghana fought to abolish with the repeal of the Criminal and Seditious Libel Law in 2001.
“The nation, under John Mahama’s presidency, is essentially witnessing the resurrection of the dreaded culture of silence and criminalisation of speech which was murdered in 2001 (24 years
ago) following the repeal of the Criminal and Seditious Libel Law by the Kufuor administration, signalling the nation’s bold declaration in decriminalising speech.”
While stressing that it does not endorse vulgar language, the Party argued that defamation should be addressed through civil suits, not criminal charges.
The NPP further accused the government of extending its intimidation to the judiciary, citing the removal of the Chief Justice, and warned that the climate of fear under President Mahama threatened Ghana’s democracy and press freedom.
The Party called on Ghanaians to resist what it termed growing tyranny, hinting at further actions in response.
