By Issah Olegor
As the tenure of Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Christian Tetteh Yohuno draws to a close in December 2025, the Ghana Police Service is once again at the center of a politically charged transition.
Behind the uniform discipline lies a fierce power struggle, ethnic undertones, and growing concern about the politicization of the security institutions. This issue has recently drawn sharp warnings from former Special Prosecutor, Martin A.B.K. Amidu.
The Post-Dampare Era And The Rise Of Yohuno
When President John Dramani Mahama returned to power in January 2025 after the December 2024 elections, many within and outside the Police Service expected him to retain Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, the IGP appointed under the Akufo-Addo administration, having employed his lobbying skills to retain his position.
However, in a surprising twist, the Mahama administration replaced Dampare just weeks after assuming office. His abrupt exit — without public explanation — and the appointment of COP Christian Tetteh Yohuno, his deputy as his successor fueled speculation about internal political maneuvering.
Since then, George Dampare has virtually disappeared from the public scene, and still holding the title of IGP since he was not officially retired. Dampare is said to have traveled to the United Kingdom for family engagement.
IGP Yohuno, an operational commander assumed office on March 14, 2025. Yet his tenure has been marked by criticism, particularly from the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), which accuses him of partisan bias and using the police for political ends — especially in relation to arrests of opposition figures and handling of politically sensitive protests.
Rising Political Pressure And Police Council Maneuvers
With his retirement approaching, intense lobbying has begun within the upper echelons of the Police Service at the corridors of power. Yohuno himself is lobbying to secure tenure extension for at least six months even though President John Mahama has indicated that he won’t tolerate post retirement contract for public officers including the police.
Sources at the Police Council and the Jubilee House confirm that although President Mahama may consider extending Yohuno’s tenure on contract, since it was extended for the Director General Finance, COP Nana Nketia Frimpong, the race for the next police chief is already wide open.
In terms of seniority, COP Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo Danquah is the next in command but she has been shipped out of the Police Headquarters to somewhere in Labadi under the guise of serving as Technical Adviser to the Interior Minister, Muntaka Mohammed Mubarak when in actual fact she has been cut off operationally.
Among the frontrunners is Commissioner of Police (COP) Lydia Yaako Donkor, the current Director-General of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) who has a lot of seniors in the queue.
If appointed, she would become the first female IGP. Her international profile recently received a major boost when she was elected as the first Ghanaian member of the INTERPOL Africa Committee, a feat that has positioned her as a strong contender with global appeal.
Other names being whispered in security and political circles include COP Vance Baba Gariba, the Director-General of Operations, and COP Dr. Sayibu Pabi Gariba, Director-General, Technical — both respected senior officers with vast field experience and loyal followings within the command structure.
Also in the race is current National Security Coordinator, COP Osman Abdul Razak who served as ADC to President Mahama when he was vice president. COP Razak may want to retire as IGP.
However, conspicuously missing from the shortlist is COP Iddi Seidu, Nyeb Singlana, a senior officer from Dagbon, who, according to credible sources, was promised the IGP position by President Mahama before the 2024 elections.
His exclusion has triggered disappointment and anger among some northern chiefs and opinion leaders, who accuse the president of sidelining Dagbon interests despite earlier promises.
“They have denied us again,” one insider lamented, referencing Mahama’s earlier refusal to name the Tamale Airport after Naa Gbewaa, as requested by the Ya-Na, and ongoing legal battles over Dagbon lands, which some interpret as government-backed interference.
Promotions And Strategic Reshuffle
In what many see as a prelude to the impending transition, President John Mahama, acting on the advice of the Police Council, recently sanctioned a massive reshuffle and promotion exercise within the Service.
According to official report, four Deputy Commissioners of Police (DCOPs) — Emmanuel Teye-Cudjoe, Arhin Kwasi Annor, Frederick Kofi Blagodzi, and Emmanuel Twumasi-Ankrah — have been promoted to Commissioners of Police (COPs).
Similarly, a list of Assistant Commissioners of Police (ACPs), including Alex Kwame, Francis Kwaku Yiribaare, John Ferguson Dzineku, Theodore Hlormenu, Dr. Frank Kwashie Hukporti, Joseph Hammond Nyaaba, Adamu Seidu, Rev. Nana Adane Ameyaw Nyamekye, Grace Akrofi-Ansah, and Al-Meyaw Abass Kwarasey, have been elevated to Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) rank, effective September 1, 2025.
The reshuffle also saw COP Emmanuel Teye-Cudjoe moved from the Ashanti Region to head the Police Professional Standards Bureau (PPSB), while DCOP Arthur Osei Akoto takes over as Ashanti Regional Commander. DCOP Joseph O. Bempah has been reassigned to the Eastern Region, and DCOP Frank Abrokwah now leads operations in the Western Region.
Police insiders describe this reorganization as a “strategic realignment” aimed at strengthening command structures and ensuring operational efficiency ahead of the leadership transition.
Yet, others interpret the timing as a political move — part of a broader effort by the Mahama administration to tighten control over the Service before naming a new IGP.
Martin Amidu’s Warning
The debate over who becomes the next IGP coincides with renewed public concern about executive overreach into Ghana’s security agencies, particularly following the introduction of the Security and Intelligence Agencies Bill, 2025.
Former Special Prosecutor Martin Amidu, in a lengthy constitutional critique, has warned that the bill — which seeks to replace the Security and Intelligence Agencies Act, 2020 (Act 1030) — poses a grave threat to the democratic order.
Martin Amidu argues that the new bill attempts to concentrate power in the hands of the National Security Co-ordinator, a position not recognized under the 1992 Constitution, effectively undermining the Directors of Internal and External Intelligence, who are constitutionally mandated members of the National Security Council.
Drawing from history, Martin Amidu reminded the public that the modern security architecture — established under the NDC government in 1996 through Act 526 — was the result of careful constitutional engineering led by Captain (Rtd.) Kojo Tsikata, ensuring that national intelligence remained accountable to civilian oversight, not partisan control.
He warns that any attempt to alter that balance, especially through politically motivated appointments or legislation, could turn security institutions — including the Ghana Police Service — into instruments of political manipulation.
“The danger,” Martin Amidu cautions, “is when security leadership becomes tied to political loyalty rather than constitutional duty. That is when democracy itself becomes insecure.”
