Richard Ahiagbah, Director of Communications for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), warns that ordinary Ghanaians are at risk under government actions that threaten the fundamental freedoms guaranteed by the 1992 Constitution.
In a strong statement, Richard Ahiagbah, Director of Communications for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has warned that Ghana’s democracy is facing an unprecedented threat. “I do not use the word siege lightly,” he said. “What is happening in Ghana today is not politics as usual. It is a deliberate, systematic dismantling of the freedoms that define us as a democratic republic.”
Ahiagbah’s concerns follow the recent detention of sBono Regional Chairman, Kwame Baffoe Abronye. “The prosecution argued, and the court accepted, that Abronye would commit a crime at some unspecified future time. No evidence of an ongoing offense. No demonstration of immediate danger. Just a claim—and a judge accepted it. That is it,” Ahiagbah said. He called the case a “judicial theatre performed for political reasons,” warning that the delay of seven days before issuing a written ruling raises further questions about the impartiality of Ghana’s courts.
Beyond Abronye, Ahiagbah highlighted the plight of fifteen other Ghanaians, arrested not for criminal acts but for exercising their right to free speech on social media. These citizens include influencers, content creators, and ordinary citizens, all of whom now face prosecution for expressing opinions. “They are your neighbors, your family, ordinary Ghanaians whose only crime was to speak out,” he said.
Ahiagbah cautioned that Ghana is entering the early stages of a digital police state, where freedom of expression is increasingly restricted. “The list of names could someday include yours if we do not resist the onslaught. The time to oppose the criminalization of speech is before the door closes, not after.”
He contrasted this with the NPP’s commitment to democratic principles, saying: “Ghanaians can trust the New Patriotic Party to protect free expression, judicial independence, and all democratic values enshrined in the 1992 Constitution. A democracy without free speech is not a democracy—it is managed silence.”
Ahiagbah expressed solidarity: “You are not alone. The storm is real. The injustice is real. But so is Ghana’s resilience.” To all Ghanaians, he urged courage: “Do not be intimidated. Do not be silenced. Free speech is not a privilege—it is our inalienable right, and it will be restored under President Mahamudu Bawumia and the New Patriotic Party.”
