Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has accused the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) of applying different standards to political speech now that it is in government.
Speaking at the National Emerging Leaders Economic Forum (NELEF) 2026 at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), Mr Afenyo-Markin said he does not support insults or personal attacks in politics.
“I do not, nor will I ever, defend the politics of insults and personal abuse. I believe public discourse must be anchored on intellectual rigour, mutual respect and policy alternatives,” he said.
However, he accused the NDC of benefiting from harsh political rhetoric while in opposition and now treating similar comments against the government as criminal.
“If there’s any government in Ghana’s Fourth Republic that has benefited from the politics of insult, it is this current NDC government. They built the entire platform on it. It helped carry them back into office, and now, having ridden that wave to power, the very same conduct aimed the other way is being treated as a crime,” he said.
Mr Afenyo-Markin also criticised the use of legal provisions to deal with political commentary.
He mentioned sections of the Electronic Communications Act, 2008 (Act 775), and the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29), which he said should not be used to silence political opponents or people who criticise the government.
He said using these laws in such cases could threaten freedom of speech and Ghana’s democratic principles.
The Minority Leader also cited the reported arrests of Techiman senior nursing officer Salomey Bafoh Awiti and social media personality Fante Comedy as examples of what he described as growing concerns over the limits of state intervention in public commentary.
