Henry Nana Boakye
The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) has announced plans to embark on a nationwide demonstration on Thursday, August 6, accusing the ruling government of undermining the country’s democratic principles, as well as demanding that the Attorney General withdraw all ongoing criminal prosecutions involving former officials of the NPP administration.
Speaking at a press conference at the party’s headquarters last Friday in Accra, the National Organiser of the NPP, Henry Nana Boakye, said if the Attorney General will continue to drop criminal charges against individuals linked to the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC), then same should be extended to members of the NPP who are currently standing trial.
He said the protest, dubbed “Democracy Under Attack,” will be organised in collaboration with other political parties, civil society organisations, professional bodies, student groups, and youth movements, among others, starting at 5 a.m. in front of the Supreme Court complex.
According to the National Organiser of the NPP, the group will first present a petition at the Supreme Court followed by Parliament House, and finally present a petition to the Presidency.
The NPP also demanded that the Attorney General publish a comprehensive account of all criminal cases involving persons affiliated with the ruling NDC that have been discontinued, withdrawn or otherwise terminated since January 2025, together with the reasons for those decisions.
“The time for silence is over,” Nana Boakye declared, and added, “We shall embark on a massive demonstration to defend our democracy, our constitution and the rule of law. It cannot be the case that the law is a weapon against one side on the political divide and a shield for the other.”
According to the party, such disclosure is necessary to restore public confidence in the criminal justice system and, therefore, called on the Judicial Council and the leadership of the Judiciary to take urgent steps to restore confidence in the administration of justice, arguing that recent judicial decisions have damaged the credibility of the courts.
The National Organiser demanded for the acquittal and release of its Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, describing his conviction and 20-year prison sentence with hard labour as politically motivated.
He maintained that the conviction was secured without sufficient evidence, and noted that his legal team has filed more than 20 grounds of appeal before the Court of Appeal.
The latest protest announcement follows the Court of Appeal’s decision to acquit and discharge former Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC) Chief Executive Officer Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu, overturning her earlier conviction on charges including stealing, causing financial loss to the state, money laundering and breaches of the Public Procurement Act.
The NPP argued that the appellate court’s decision raises serious questions about consistency in the administration of justice, and stated that what was witnessed was not an isolated judicial outcome but was the unmasking of a system.
The party cited cases involving former public officials, including matters relating to the Ghana Cocoa Board, the banking sector and other public institutions, alleging that prosecutions were terminated after the accused had already been ordered by the courts to open their defence.
The NPP further accused the government of creating what it described as a “two-track system of justice” in which individuals associated with the ruling party receive favourable treatment while opposition figures face aggressive prosecution.
The opposition party also criticised recent developments within the Judiciary, including the suspension and subsequent removal of former Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo, saying that the process had weakened judicial independence and created fear within the judicial system.
It further questioned the decision to allow two High Court judges handling politically sensitive cases to continue sitting during the legal vacation, alleging that the move was intended to fast-track prosecutions involving opposition figures.
The party also expressed concern over what it described as increasing restrictions on freedom of expression, stating that critics of the government have been subjected to arrests, intimidation and stringent bail conditions.
It cited the recent arrest of social media commentator Ansu Damoah over a post on X, formerly Twitter, as evidence of what it described as the weaponisation of law enforcement agencies against political opponents.
The party also criticised plans to reintroduce public tribunals, arguing that such institutions could be used to target opposition figures.
According to the NPP, the planned nationwide demonstration is intended to rally Ghanaians to defend constitutional governance regardless of political affiliation.
“Without a doubt, our democracy is under siege. The 1992 Constitution, for which so many sacrificed, is being hollowed out before our very eyes, and all well-meaning Ghanaians, irrespective of political affiliation, ethnicity or creed, must rise to defend it,” the party added.
By Ebenezer K. Amponsah