A member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Communications Team, Johnson Ayine, has criticized what he describes as increasing intimidation and suppression of free speech under the current administration, cautioning against the “recycling” of political victimization in Ghana.
Speaking on Dreamz FM’s State of Our Nation programme hosted by Nicholas Azebire, Mr Ayine questioned the legality and fairness of detaining political commentator Abronye without bail in Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) custody.
“The law did not permit any judge to say, ‘go to this BNI custody or police custody or prison custody until the final determination of your case,’” he argued.
Mr Ayine maintained that although individuals who make offensive statements should be held accountable, state institutions should not be used to suppress dissenting opinions.
“If somebody thinks another person has defamed him, let those people handle it. The state should not be intervening on behalf of certain individuals,” he said.
The NPP communicator accused the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) of abandoning promises of protecting freedom of speech after campaigning on claims that the previous Akufo-Addo administration intimidated critics.
“You promised second independence and asked people to go out there and speak freely. Today, when people speak, they are arrested,” he stated.
Mr Ayine also criticized the arrest and detention of some opposition figures and social commentators, arguing that the pattern could deepen public distrust in democratic institutions.
“We are seeing a recycling effect, and no government will be there forever. One day those justifying what is going on may find themselves on the other side,” he warned.
He referenced previous incidents under both NPP and NDC administrations, including arrests of political activists and controversial statements made by politicians, insisting Ghana must move beyond retaliatory politics.
“In the Upper East Region, we learned that when governments change, we should have smooth transitions instead of locking offices and toilets. Why can’t we also learn politically?” Ayine asked.
He further argued that criticism of the judiciary did not begin with the NPP, citing past comments by NDC leaders, including former President John Mahama’s description of the Supreme Court as a “unanimous FC.”
“If today you condemn Afenyo-Markin for criticizing judges, then you should also have condemned those earlier statements,” he added.
Mr Ayine called for consistency in the application of democratic principles and urged political actors to avoid actions that could undermine public confidence in state institutions.
“We are building a democracy, and if we are building a democracy, we should be consistent in whatever we think is good for the country,” he said.
