The New Patriotic Party, NPP, spokesperson for Gender and Social Protection, Akosua Manu, has accused the government of President John Dramani Mahama of using arrests and stringent bail conditions to intimidate political opponents and suppress dissent.
Speaking on recent developments in Ghana, Manu alleged that the arrest of government critics was politically motivated and aimed at weakening opposition voices rather than upholding the rule of law.
According to her, the opposition remains the most outspoken critic of the Mahama administration, prompting what she described as a deliberate campaign to silence dissent.
“They are arresting dissenters and imposing excessive bail conditions to silence critics. The opposition is their loudest critic, and they believe they already have control over much of the media while some civil society organisations that would ordinarily speak out have also been muted,” she said.
Manu further alleged that the government’s actions were part of a broader plan to pave the way for a constitutional amendment that would allow President Mahama to seek a third term in office.
She urged Ghanaians not to remain silent, insisting that citizens must continue to hold the government accountable and resist any attempt to undermine the country’s democratic institutions.
The NPP spokesperson also referred to the removal of former Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo, claiming the development initially attracted little public attention but had since prompted greater scrutiny of the government’s actions.
She further criticised the Mahama administration over what she described as unfulfilled campaign promises, including the proposed 24-hour economy and job creation initiatives.
Manu also claimed that some members of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) privately opposed any plan to pursue a third-term agenda but were unwilling to speak publicly for fear of jeopardising potential political appointments.
“Even within their party (NDC), there are people against the third-term agenda, but they just can’t say it because most of them are still waiting for appointments. They know for sure that it is a bad idea,” she alleged.
She warned that any attempt to amend Ghana’s presidential term limits would pose a serious threat to the country’s democracy, arguing that weakening constitutional safeguards could expose future generations to authoritarian rule.
The Mahama administration has not publicly responded to Manu’s allegations.
