Ghana opposition NPP enta streets for 'Democracy Under Attack' demonstration
Di opposition party for Ghana; di New Patriotic Party (NPP) dey protest wetin dem describe as #DemocracyUnderAttack.
Dem say among oda tins, di National Democratic Congress (NDC) govment dey oppress dem, wey dem dey clampdown on free speech.
Party leaders don gada dia followers to hit di streets on di day di kontri dey mark one year since di deadly helicopter crash wey kill eight pipo including govment ministers.
According to di opposition NPP, many tins for di kontri no dey go on well, na so dem dey demand say tins go change.
Leading party members, members of parliament (MPs) wey belong to di opposition party and oda sympathisers dey part of dis protest.
Reasons di opposition dey protest
Selective justice – According to di opposition party, di recent acquittal and discharge of ex-Microfinance and small loans center (Masloc) CEO, Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu afta dem extradite her from di US to serve her 10-year jail term, no dey fair.
Di Court of Appeal set her free sake of dem tok say di High Court ruling wey jail her for 2024, no dey correct.
Di Court of Appeal also tok say di prosecution no do good job to prove di guilty of Sedina Tamakloe beyond reasonable doubt.
Dem also find say di charge sheet wey di prosecution bin use for dat trial, dey defective.
But di opposition NPP say di ruling by di Court of Appeal dey show partiality and bias for di justice system, sake of di same courts for d kontri don jail dia Ashanti Regional chairman, Bernard Antwi-Boasiako (aka Chairman Wontumi) for 20 years for illegal mining.
Harassment of opposition members – Dem tok say di govment bin dey use di police to arrest and intimidate dia members. National organiser for di NPP Henry Nana Boakye tok say di state agencies bi dey use arrest, detention and ogbonge bail conditions to harass dia party members.
Clampdown of free speech – Ova di last two years, di police don go afta Tiktokers and oda bloggers wey bin dey post abusive and offensive content and those wey dey threaten di president and oda govment officials. So far, two Tiktokers bin dey inside jail afta dem plead guilty to publication of false news and abusive and offensive content. Some odas bin dey for custody or dey face trial as dem dey on bail. Di opposition party say dis arrests and imprisonment of dia party foot-soldiers dey amount to harassment and attempt to shutdown freedom of expression.
Interference of di Judiciary – leaders of di opposition NPP don also accuse di govment say dem dey interfere wit di judiciary afta dem comot di former Chief Justice from office. Dem say dem dey worry about how di judiciary bin dey handle criminal cases. Henry Nana Boakye, di organiser for di NPP wey dey lead di protest tok say "eyes dey watch di Chief Justice sake of im don benefit for di removal of Gertrude Torkornoo. If justice dey go anoda way, pipo go dey ask questions."
Hundreds of party supporters and leaders wey dey wear red and black shirts dey march through di streets.
Dem dey present petition to di judiciary for di Supreme Court complex, bifor dem go walk to di kontris parliament to present anoda petition.
Di protesters go finally march to di seat of govment to present dia final petition to do govment.
"Our objective no be to scata tins for dis protest, na constitutional engagement. We gatz send strong message to di govment about dis tins wey dey happun for di kontri," di party organiser Henry Nana Boakye tok.
Di govment meanwhile tok say so far, dem neva do anytin against di rule of law, wey dem argue say security agencies bin dey do dia job to maintain law and order for di kontri.
Dem also deny say democracy dey under attack – as pipo bin dey go about normally, except when dem cross di line and threaten odas, wey be against di law.
Di police already tok say pipo dey free to publish any content dem feel, as long as dis content no dey 'offensive and abusive" or threaten di peace of di kontri.
For 5 May 2025, di NPP hit d streets to protest di process wey lead to di removal of di ex-Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo.
According to di party, di removal of di Chief Justice ova 'misconduct' be politically-motivated, even though di govment and oda civil society groups tok say e follow due-process.
For 23 September 2025, di NPP protest wetin dem describe at dat time as "state-sponsored harassment" afta police bin arrest and detain one of dia regional chairmen Kwame Baffoe (aka Abronye DC).
