Former Information Minister Mustapha Abdul-Hamid has added his voice to growing opposition concerns about the state of free expression in Ghana, warning that recent arrests of New Patriotic Party (NPP) members and supporters reflect a pattern that could damage democratic norms.
Speaking on AsaasePa’s ATUMPAN political programme, Abdul-Hamid argued that satire is a legitimate journalistic tool and that using it as grounds for arrest sets a troubling precedent. He drew a comparison with the Akufo-Addo administration, contending that the previous government tolerated sustained ridicule and criticism from political opponents without deploying the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) or National Security apparatus against individuals.
“Former President Akufo-Addo was frequently caricatured in newspapers and online platforms, yet at no point did the BNI or National Security move to arrest individuals over satirical content about him,” he said, adding that the contrast with the current National Democratic Congress (NDC) government is stark.
The comments feed into a wider opposition campaign against what the NPP has characterised as state-sponsored intimidation. NPP flagbearer Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia condemned what he described as the use of state security institutions to silence dissent following the arrest and detention of party member Abubakar Yakubu, also known as Baba Amando. NPP General Secretary Justin Kodua Frimpong also alleged that several individuals had recently been arrested and detained without being promptly brought before court, raising concerns about due process and civil liberties.
The NDC government has not formally responded to Abdul-Hamid’s specific remarks on satire.
It is worth noting that Abdul-Hamid himself is currently facing prosecution by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) in a case formally known as Republic v. Mustapha Hamid and Others, with the next hearing scheduled for May 26, 2026. A High Court has stayed proceedings in the trial pending resolution of a broader constitutional dispute over the OSP’s prosecutorial authority. His commentary on free speech and political arrest comes against this personal legal backdrop.
The debate over political tolerance and media freedom has intensified since the start of the year, with civil society groups and legal practitioners among those who have weighed in. Whether the concerns raised by opposition figures reflect a systematic policy or isolated enforcement decisions remains contested, with the government maintaining it acts within the law.
