Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, President John Mahama
Former Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has decried what he described as “abuse of power” by the John Mahama-led National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration.
He alleged that harassment of political opponents, particularly members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has become a hallmark of the current government since assuming office. According to him, rather than addressing pressing national challenges, the NDC is focused on intimidating its opponents, which undermines national progress.
Dr. Bawumia accused the NDC of deliberately targeting key NPP figures, media personnel, and former government appointees with what he described as unjustifiable arrests. He therefore urged party members to remain resolute and work towards recapturing power in 2028.
The 2024 NPP presidential candidate, who is seeking to lead the party again in the 2028 elections, made the remarks at Fomena on Wednesday during the launch of his campaign tour of the Ashanti Region.
Key NPP Arrests
Highlighting recent incidents, Dr. Bawumia recalled the arrest of the NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, as well as the detention of Bono Regional Chairman, Kwame Baffoe, also known as Abronye DC.
He noted that several former government appointees and media personalities, especially those active on social media, have also been arrested as part of what he believes is a strategy to intimidate the NPP.
“We have all witnessed what is going on since we lost political power on December 7, 2024. The NDC government is using political power to intimidate us. Just recently, Chairman Wontumi was apprehended, Chairman Abronye has also been nabbed. They are also arresting our TikTokers, our bloggers, and our former government appointees,” he lamented.
Abronye DC was arrested on Monday after honouring a police invitation on charges of “offensive conduct conducive to breaches of the peace” and “publication of false news.”
He was subsequently remanded in police custody by a court presided over by His Honour Samuel Bright Acquah.
In May this year, Chairman Wontumi was also arrested for his alleged involvement in illegal mining operations through his company, Akonta Mining, in a forest reserve without a licence, as well as polluting water bodies.
He was later handed over to the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), which detained him beyond the constitutionally mandated 48 hours after he appeared before the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Police Service on May 26, 2025.
This followed a failed attempt by National Security operatives and police officers to arrest him at his Kumasi residence.
EOCO reportedly held Wontumi on charges including fraud, causing financial loss to the state, and money laundering.
Dr. Bawumia, however, believes these are trumped-up charges aimed at persecuting NPP members.
Preaches Unity
Dr. Bawumia urged NPP members to treat these developments as a wake-up call to close ranks, stressing that unity is critical to the party’s chances in 2028.
“In unity lies strength,” he declared, cautioning that name-calling, backbiting, and internal attacks would only weaken the party’s prospects.
Targets Power in 2028
He emphasised that the NDC’s intimidation “should be a strong message that the NPP now needs to unite so that in 2028 we can recapture political power and return good governance to the country.”
Dr. Bawumia assured supporters that the party’s 2024 electoral defeat was only a temporary setback, and with determination and solidarity, the NPP would reclaim victory in the next national elections.
NPP Condemns Political Harassment
In a related development, the New Patriotic Party has condemned the arrest and detention of its Bono Regional Chairman, Kwame Baffoe, describing it as political harassment under the NDC government.
A statement issued yesterday by the NPP General Secretary, Justin Kodua Frimpong, described Abronye’s arrest as a politically motivated act of intimidation.
According to the NPP, the incident is part of a disturbing trend of targeted actions against its members, especially those critical of the ruling National Democratic Congress government.
“This persecution of Chairman ‘Abronye’ is not an isolated case, but the latest episode in a broader effort to silence dissent within the political opposition. This is lack of focus since assuming office eight months ago,” he stated.
The party also accused the administration of misusing state security agencies to suppress opposition voices rather than addressing pressing national concerns such as illegal mining, popularly known as ‘galamsey’, rising insecurity, and ethnic violence in parts of the country.
The NPP further alleged selective enforcement of the law, pointing out that while its members are arrested for controversial statements on platforms like Facebook and TikTok, many NDC members who made such unsavoury comments were not punished.
It also mentioned that government’s posture reflect resurgence of the “culture of silence” and the criminalisation of speech, recalling the repeal of the Criminal Libel Law in 2001 by the Kufuor administration, which it indicated marked a turning point for free expression in Ghana’s democracy.
The party further warned that the attack on civil liberties under the current administration is putting Ghana’s democratic gains at risk, citing the removal of Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo on what it termed as “flimsy grounds”.
From I.F. Joe Awuah, Kumasi