BY Nadia Ntiamoah
The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) has launched a scathing attack on the John Dramani Mahama-led administration following the arrest of its Bono Regional Chairman, Kwame Baffoe, popularly known as Abronye DC.
The party has branded the detention of its outspoken executive as a deliberate act of political harassment and a threat to the democratic gains.
Background to the Arrest
Abronye DC, known for his fiery political commentary, was arrested on Monday, September 8, 2025, by the Ghana Police Service.
His arrest followed allegations that he insulted the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Christian Tetteh Yohunu, during a public outburst.
The incident sparked immediate outrage among NPP members, who argue that his detention is yet another example of the state clamping down on opposition voices.
This is not the first time Abronye has clashed with authorities over his blunt remarks.
Over the years, he has built a reputation as one of the NPP’s fiercest communicators, often attracting controversy for his attacks on political opponents.
NPP’s Official Respons
In a strongly worded statement released by the party’s General Secretary, Justin Kodua Frimpong, on Wednesday, September 10, the NPP accused President Mahama’s government of deliberately weaponising state institutions against dissenting voices.
“It is rather unfortunate that eight months into the administration of H.E. John Dramani Mahama, the government appears to have completely lost focus.”
“The government has used the past eight months to weaponise the state security, not in the fight against galamsey, and certainly not to protect the citizenry and deescalate the growing insecurity situation in many parts of the country,” the statement read.
The NPP argued that while members of the opposition were being targeted for their speech, ruling party supporters who made equally inflammatory remarks were being shielded from prosecution.
The party described this as a dangerous precedent that could erode Ghana’s democratic fabric.
The Free Speech Debate
Central to the NPP’s criticism is the issue of free speech.
The party reminded the government of the repeal of the Criminal Libel Law in 2001, a landmark decision that was celebrated as a victory for press freedom and democracy in Ghana.
“The position of the law in Ghana after the repeal of the Criminal Libel Law is that, if any Ghanaian feels defamed or falsely accused, he or she has a remedy in law by way of civil libel, such as a defamation suit, and not criminal libel or criminal prosecution,” the statement emphasised.
The NPP insisted that criminalising speech has no place in Ghana’s democracy and warned that such practices could revive the “culture of silence” that the country fought hard to abolish two decades ago.
Concerns Over State Institutions
Beyond Abronye’s arrest, the NPP accused the Mahama administration of undermining state institutions, including the judiciary and security agencies, by using them as tools for political intimidation.
The party argued that this growing climate of “state-sponsored harassment” risks damaging the international reputation as one of Africa’s most stable democracies.
“This growing climate of state-sponsored intimidation and harassment, as well as the criminalisation of speech, represents a debilitating assault on Ghana’s democracy and our commitment to the rule of law,” the party warned.
A Call to Action
The NPP concluded by calling on President Mahama, the police service, and all relevant state institutions to desist from what it described as a campaign of intimidation against opposition figures.
It also urged Ghanaians to stand firm against what it fears could become an emerging tyranny.
