The New Patriotic Party (NPP) launched a major demonstration today in Accra, challenging what the opposition describes as systematic harassment of its members by the current National Democratic Congress (NDC) government. The protest, dubbed “Yɛn Suro Ahunahuna” (We Resist Fear), began at 6:00 a.m. from Obra Spot at Kwame Nkrumah Circle, drawing hundreds of party supporters and sympathizers.
The demonstration represents the opposition’s most significant challenge to President John Dramani Mahama’s administration since the NDC assumed power following the December 2024 elections. Party leaders cite a pattern of arrests targeting NPP figures as evidence of what they term “selective application of justice.”
Central to the protest is the case of NPP Bono Regional Chairman Kwame Baffoe, known as Abronye DC, who was remanded into custody for the second time on September 12, 2025, by Circuit Court Judge Samuel Bright Acquah after being denied bail. The case has become a rallying point for opposition claims of political persecution.
The party also references concerns over Chairman Wontumi and other party executives, though specific details of recent arrests remain contested. Abronye DC was charged with “offensive conduct conducive to a breach of the peace” and remanded into police custody, prompting widespread criticism from NPP leadership and legal experts.
The NPP has accused President John Mahama and the ruling NDC of reintroducing Ghana’s “culture of silence”, citing arrests of opposition members and alleged abuse of state power. This reference recalls Ghana’s authoritarian past when political dissent was suppressed through intimidation tactics.
Opposition Youth Organizer Salam Mustapha, who announced the protest two weeks ago, framed the demonstration as defending democratic principles. The party’s statement called on “all patriots, youth, and citizens who believe in liberty and accountability” to participate in what they describe as resistance against intimidation.
The timing of the protest is significant, occurring less than nine months into the Mahama administration’s second term. Political analysts suggest this early confrontation indicates potential challenges the government may face in managing opposition relations throughout its tenure.
The arrests have drawn criticism from various legal figures, including prominent lawyer Oliver Barker-Vormawor, who questioned the judicial handling of cases involving opposition figures. Such criticism suggests broader concerns about the independence of Ghana’s judiciary under the current administration.
The demonstration highlights growing tensions between Ghana’s major political parties, with the NPP positioning itself as a defender of democratic freedoms against alleged government overreach. The party’s ability to mobilize supporters for the protest demonstrates its organizational capacity despite being in opposition.
Government officials have yet to respond comprehensively to the NPP’s allegations, though the Ghana Police Service has maintained that all arrests follow due process and are based on specific legal violations rather than political considerations.
The protest occurs against the backdrop of Ghana’s traditionally competitive political environment, where power has alternated between the NPP and NDC since the return to constitutional democracy in 1993. The current tensions suggest this pattern of democratic competition faces new challenges in the contemporary political landscape.
Today’s demonstration will be closely watched as an indicator of how Ghana’s democratic institutions handle opposition challenges to government authority in an era of increasing political polarization across Africa.
