The Minority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, has accused the government of President John Dramani Mahama of reviving Ghana’s repealed criminal libel regime and using criminal prosecutions to suppress dissent.
According to him, the arrest and remand of the Bono Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kwame Baffoe, popularly called Abronye DC, was part of a broader pattern of intimidation targeting opposition members and critics of the government.
“President Kufuor abolished criminal libel to set Ghana free. President Mahama is rebuilding it, brick by brick, to cage the opposition,” he declared.
Also read: Abronye arrest a ‘constitutional outrage’ – Afenyo-Markin, demands immediate release
Speaking at a press conference in Accra on Sunday, May 17, 2026, the Minority Leader indicated that Abronye DC was arraigned before an Accra Circuit Court on charges of offensive conduct conducive to breach of the peace and publication of false news after he criticised a judge in a social media video.
He argued that such remarks fall squarely within the constitutional right to freedom of expression and should not attract criminal prosecution.
“The arrest, prosecution, and remand of a citizen for words spoken in the public square are not justice. It is persecution,” he said.
He described the court’s refusal to grant bail as censorship from the bench, insisting that no Ghanaian should be detained because of fears that they may continue expressing political opinions.
Hon. Afenyo-Markin traced the history of Ghana’s criminal libel law, noting that former President John Agyekum Kufuor repealed the law in 2001 through Act 602.
The repeal, championed by then Attorney General Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, was widely hailed as a major democratic reform and a milestone for press freedom in Africa.
According to Mr. Afenyo-Markin, the Mahama administration is now using Sections 207 and 208 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29) to achieve the same outcome through different legal provisions.
“Rather than restore criminal libel by name, the government is reconstructing the criminal libel regime in practice,” he said.
The Minority Leader listed several recent arrests involving NPP activists and officials, including David Essandoh, Baba Amando, Alfred Ababio Kumi (Adenta Kumi), and Rev. John Ntim Fordjour.
He argued that the cases demonstrate a deliberate strategy to discourage criticism and create fear among opposition supporters.
“These are not isolated incidents. They form part of a systematic campaign to silence political opponents,” he stated.
The Minority leader maintained that if any individual believes their reputation has been harmed, Ghanaian law already provides adequate civil remedies through the courts.
“When you want to protect your name, you go to the civil courts. When you want to punish and silence an opponent, you send the police,” he said.
He stressed that the repeated use of criminal charges where civil remedies exist suggests a political motive rather than a genuine search for justice.
Mr. Afenyo-Markin called for the immediate and unconditional release of Abronye DC and announced that the NPP’s legal team would challenge the prosecution in court.
He urged civil society organisations, the media, and the legal profession to defend constitutional freedoms and resist any attempt to erode Ghana’s democratic gains.
“The culture of silence is not coming back to Ghana. Not now. Not on our watch. Not ever,” he declared.