The President of IMANI Africa, Franklin Cudjoe, has slammed the recent arrest of Alfred Ababio Kumi, a youth activist of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and former parliamentary aspirant, describing the move as excessive, unnecessary, and emblematic of a disturbing trend of state overreach.
Widely known as Adenta Kumi, the activist was arrested in the early hours of Friday, May 23, by heavily armed operatives of the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB).
According to reports, he was charged with publication of false news over claims he made on social media and during a radio interview. These statements were linked to a petition he submitted to the President, calling for the dissolution of the committee investigating Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo.
Adenta Kumi
Appearing on Channel One TV’s The Big Issue on Saturday, May 24, Franklin Cudjoe expressed outrage at the manner in which the arrest was conducted, questioning why a simple police invitation was not deemed sufficient.
“I am a bit surprised that we are still doing these things that we’ve all condemned in the past. I don’t understand why the person in question cannot just be invited and asked to make a statement. Why should it take armed men raiding a man’s house, detaining him for hours?”
Cudjoe went further, condemning what he termed a ‘mindless’ and heavy-handed approach to allegations of misinformation, which he believes undermines Ghana’s democratic progress.
“I don’t know who is pressing certain political buttons, but this thing is mindless. It is mindless, and I don’t think this act should go in the name of the President at all,” he stressed.
Kumi’s arrest, which sparked outrage within the NPP, adds to mounting fears of political intimidation and suppression of dissent as Ghana inches closer to the 2026 general elections.
Indeed the NPP has issued a formal statement accusing the NDC administration of political persecution of its members.