The Republic of Ghana has long been defined by the rule of law. But in recent times, the public has watched a troubling pattern emerge: when consequences fall on people allied to the powerful, outrage becomes loud and political; when consequences fall on ordinary citizens or on those who are seen as opponents, accountability seems to disappear.
The latest hullabaloo around the Bono Regional Chairman of NPP, Kwame Baffoe, popularly known as Abronye DC, should not be treated as a partisan football. It should be treated for what it is: a test of whether we truly respect law, courts, and due process, regardless of party branding, regional loyalties, or ideological comfort.
What makes this matter more worrying is not only the allegations of misconduct levelled against Abronye DC since January 2025, but also the contrasting behaviour displayed by key figures in the NPP leadership and its information machinery. The public has seen reports that Abronye DC made public remarks described by complainants as defamatory, insulting, and derogatory, involving high-profile personalities including media practitioners, senior officials, and political leaders. For each of these incidents, the story is similar: a statement is made publicly, the offended party seeks redress—sometimes through legal processes—and the wider political ecosystem watches, often without the moral clarity that the NPP usually claims to uphold.
Notable among the people who suffered such attacks or derogatory remarks by Abronye DC are President John Dramani Mahama, Archbishop Duncan Williams, Mrs. Joyce Bawah Mugtari, Dr. Randy Abbey, Hugh Clement A. Brown, Inspector General of Police, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, Dr. Richard Anane, and Justin Kodua Frimpong, and yet, the NPP revere him as a hero and see him as a demi-god.
Silence as a strategy
Since January 2025, several individuals and institutions in Ghana have taken legal action against Abronye DC, over alleged defamatory comments. These actions include defamation suits and demand for apologies and compensation, highlighting the importance of responsible speech and the consequences of crossing the line. The message is clear: when words harm reputations, the law will take its course. This trend underscores the need for careful consideration in public discourse, especially when discussing individuals in positions of authority.
Yet, what has been visibly absent is a corresponding internal correction from the NPP itself. One would expect a party that consistently champions discipline, decency, and “orderliness” to confront misconduct within its ranks with the same seriousness it applies to opponents. But instead, the public often witnesses something else: party officials appear more interested in controlling narratives than in correcting behaviour.
It is not difficult to understand why this is dangerous. When political actors treat defamatory conduct and public insults as “acceptable campaign noise” for their own, Ghana begins to normalize unruliness. And when unruliness is normalized, the courts become battlefields rather than institutions of justice.
The September 2025 issue: Arrest, comments, and public reactions
On September 8, 2025, Abronye was arrested by the Ghana Police Service. The arrest was reportedly linked to insulting remarks he made against high-ranking public figures, including President John Mahama and Inspector-General of Police Christian Tetteh Yohuno. According to reports, Abronye had criticized the government’s handling of certain issues and alleged political bias in police recruitment processes. The police stated that his arrest was due to “offensive conduct conducive to the breach of peace”
It must be emphasized that a society that respects its institutions should respond to such matters with restraint and not with selective outrage, nor with political theatrics. The police process is meant to establish facts. The court process is meant to test legality and determine guilt or innocence. Both processes exist to protect the nation from mob justice and partisan manipulation.
Nevertheless, the deeper problem isn’t simply that misconduct allegations were made. The deeper problem is what follows: rather than helping calm the environment and encouraging compliance with due process, some political voices appear to escalate tension and shift focus away from accountability.
Minority leader’s attack on a Circuit Court judge
That is why the NPP’s and, specifically, the Minority Leader’s (Alexander Afenyo-Markin) decision to inappropriately attack a Circuit Court Judge for remanding Abronye DC is profoundly disturbing. Judicial independence is not a suggestion but the foundation of Ghana’s constitutional democracy. When political leaders criticize Judges, it is not automatically “freedom of speech.” It becomes something else—something corrosive, especially when the criticism appears motivated by partisan convenience rather than legal argument.
A Judge, remanding a suspect or issuing a procedural decision, is acting within a system designed to ensure fairness. If parties disagree, the correct path is appeal and legal challenge, not public intimidation or disrespect. If political figures keep attacking judicial officers whenever court decisions do not align with their preferences, then what Ghana protects is not “justice” but “influence.” And when influence replaces law, citizens become spectators to power rather than beneficiaries of rights.
Condemning misconduct and condemning intimidation
Let it be said plainly: condemning misconduct is not hatred. Asking for accountability is not opposition. Respect for due process does not mean sympathy for wrongdoing; it means refusing to normalize wrongdoing and refusing to weaponize institutions. This is what the NPP must understand. If Abronye DC indeed made insulting or defamatory remarks, whether proven in court or not, then the party should not hide behind excuses.
It should not treat the law as optional for its own members. Instead, it should insist on discipline, ethics, and responsibility. At the same time, if the political establishment claims to respect the judiciary, then it must show it and not with slogans, but with actions. Attacking a Circuit Court Judge for carrying out judicial duties is not bravery. It is recklessness.
A law-abiding country requires consistency
Ghana cannot be a law-abiding country in name only. Consistency must apply across the board: for government allies and opposition figures alike. For powerful insiders and ordinary citizens alike. For regional bosses and national communicators alike. If Ghana is truly committed to rule of law, then every public figure, especially those entrusted with influence over youth, communities, and public opinion must be held to the same standard: do not insult; do not defame; do not incite; and do not interfere with courts.
The signal Ghana deserves
This moment should send a clear signal: no party has the right to normalize misconduct when it benefits them, and no political leader has the right to intimidate courts when decisions are inconvenient. Ghana’s future depends on whether we build a culture where accountability is not selective. Where a judge’s role is respected. Where political rhetoric has limits. Where the law is treated as the ultimate referee, not a tool to fight rivals.
The NPP, including its Minority Leader, must choose: either support the rule of law in practice, or admit that politics is being allowed to override institutions. Because in a law-abiding country, discipline is not optional, and neither is judicial independence.
By Innocent Samuel Appiah
