Aspiring National Communications Officer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dennis Miracles Aboagye, has cautioned the government against actions that could undermine democratic freedoms, particularly the right of citizens to freely express their views.

According to him, one of the most important safeguards of democracy is the ability of citizens to protest, criticise those in power and demand accountability without fear of intimidation.

Speaking in an interview on JoyNews' Newsfile on Saturday on the recent 'Democracy Under Attack demonstration, Mr Aboagye described protests as a powerful tool that can help governments break out of what he called a “bubble” created by the trappings of political power.

“Sometimes when you are in government, and we will be in there, you find yourself in a bubble. If you don't take care, you will see things only as they appear to you where you are,” he said.

He explained that demonstrations and public dissent can serve as a reality check for governments by exposing concerns that may not be visible from within government.

“Protest sometimes pokes this bubble, bursts it, and then you feel a certain new air, and you decide what to do,” he added.

Mr Aboagye said governments often find it easy to justify their decisions while in power, but warned that such approaches are rarely sustainable when they fail to respond to legitimate public concerns.

He, however, said the broader democratic implications of the demonstration should receive greater attention than the immediate political disagreements surrounding it.

According to him, the arrest and prosecution of citizens over comments made on social media raise serious questions about the state of freedom of expression in Ghana.

Using the case of a woman who allegedly expressed her views on TikTok, Mr Aboagye said the incident demonstrates how ordinary citizens are increasingly using digital platforms to participate in democratic discourse.

He noted that many citizens do not have access to mainstream media platforms such as Newsfile, Asɛmpa or Joy FM, making social media their primary avenue for expressing their views on national issues.

“This woman goes to sleep. 5 a.m., her room is broken into by security services. She is put into an Elx vehicle, drove on the road for eight hours to Accra, sent to a court, and she is remanded for two weeks,” he said.

He questioned the justification for such an arrest, particularly where the police subsequently indicated that the woman had been arrested for allegedly insulting a government official.

“For me, that is the biggest issue to look at. Forget about the police car clash. As for the police car clash, we have our own games that we play. Let's not use that to cloud the very important underlying issue with democracy,” Mr Aboagye stressed.

He argued that the incident should prompt a wider national conversation about the limits of state power and the protection of citizens' constitutional freedoms.

Mr Aboagye maintained that democratic governments must be prepared to tolerate criticism, including criticism expressed through new and sometimes unconventional platforms such as TikTok.

He said protecting the right of citizens to express themselves is essential to maintaining public confidence in Ghana's democratic system.