The National Organizer of the opposition New Patriotic Party, Henry Nana Boakye, popularly known as Nana B, has criticised the government, the Ghana Police Service, and other state institutions over what he describes as the selective application of free speech and the law under the current administration.
In a Facebook post reacting to the recent arrest and detention of the Bono Regional Chairman of the NPP, Kwame Baffoe, popularly known as Abronye DC, as well as the arrest of several NPP communicators and social media influencers for allegedly publishing false information, Nana B questioned what he believes are double standards in the handling of political speech.
According to him, comments previously made by the current Majority Leader and Member of Parliament for Bawku Central, Mahama Ayariga, about the judiciary did not attract sanctions at the time, yet members of the opposition are now being targeted for similar statements.
“Mahama Ayariga categorically said Supreme Court judges are not knowledgeable and walked free. Now the same man and his government want others silenced. What changed; the law, or the power he holds?” Nana B wrote on Facebook.
The remarks have since sparked debate on social media, with supporters of the opposition accusing the government of suppressing dissenting voices, while others argue that the recent arrests are based on the alleged spread of false information rather than political affiliation.
Nana B’s comments reference statements made by Mahama Ayariga during an appearance on JoyNews’ The Probe on October 20, 2024, where the Majority Leader criticised the Supreme Court over its decision to issue a stay of execution on Speaker Alban Bagbin’s ruling declaring four parliamentary seats vacant.
During the interview, Ayariga expressed concern about what he described as excessive judicial interference in matters that should be resolved politically.
“That is why you should have knowledgeable people as judges at the Supreme Court. We should have judges who know their law,” Ayariga stated while discussing the court’s intervention.
The Bawku Central MP cited the 1968 United States Supreme Court case Baker v. Carr to support his argument that some disputes are inherently political and should remain within the jurisdiction of the legislature and executive without judicial involvement.
“If they were knowledgeable, they would have known that the U.S. Supreme Court, in the case of Baker and Carr in 1968, said that there are certain matters that are by their nature political within the domain of the legislature and the executive,” he added.
The controversy at the time stemmed from Speaker Bagbin’s decision to declare four parliamentary seats vacant after the affected MPs either chose to contest the 2024 elections as independent candidates or switched political allegiances.
Nana B’s criticism comes amid heightened political tension following the arrest of Abronye DC and several pro-NPP communicators over allegations linked to misinformation and false publications.
The opposition party has increasingly accused the government of intimidation and attempts to silence critics — claims government officials have consistently denied.
By 1960news
