Dennis Miracles Aboagye, Spokesperson for Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has called on the Government to demonstrate greater tolerance for dissenting opinions, warning that attempts to intimidate critics undermine Ghana’s democratic credentials.

He said democracy thrived on the free exchange of ideas and differing viewpoints, stressing that a political environment in which citizens feared speaking openly could not be described as democratic.

Mr Aboagye made the remarks in Accra ahead of the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) “Democracy Under Attack” demonstration scheduled for Thursday.

The protest, according to the Party, was intended to draw national attention to concerns over alleged political persecution, selective justice, abuse of state institutions and what it considers growing intimidation of opposition members.

Mr Aboagye expressed concern over what he described as a growing culture of fear among citizens, alleging that critics of the Government increasingly felt vulnerable to intimidation and persecution.

“If you are in government and people are afraid to speak, then what becomes of democracy?” he questioned, adding that the power of the State could easily be used to target individuals once they were perceived as opponents.

Mr Aboagye said although he had not personally suffered any such treatment, many Ghanaians, particularly ordinary citizens in remote communities, had allegedly been subjected to what he described as unfair actions by the security and judicial systems.

He cited the case of a young woman who, according to him, had been remanded into custody under bail conditions she could not meet, arguing that such incidents reflected a troubling trend within the justice delivery system.

Mr Aboagye said he had, on behalf of his group, the People’s Forum, written to the Chief Justice some weeks ago to raise concerns about what he described as the increasing confidence of security agencies in securing favourable outcomes from the courts.

He alleged that some security agencies had become convinced that cases they brought before the courts would proceed without sufficient judicial scrutiny.

Mr Aboagye argued that stronger judicial oversight would serve as an effective check against any abuse of power by law enforcement agencies.

“The security agencies think they are even doing you a favour by taking you to court because, in their view, the courts will make matters worse,” he claimed.

Mr Aboagye also criticised what he described as the criminalisation of insults, saying the incarceration of citizens solely for making insulting remarks was inconsistent with democratic governance and constitutional freedoms.

He maintained that while offensive language should not be encouraged, the appropriate response should be public education rather than imprisonment.

Mr Aboagye called on institutions such as the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) to intensify civic education to help citizens understand the distinction between protected speech, insults and criminal threats, as well as the legal limits of free expression.

He also questioned the arrest of individuals over comments made on social media platforms, including TikTok, saying many users lacked adequate understanding of the legal boundaries governing online expression.

Mr Aboagye urged the Government to prioritise education and engagement instead of using what he described as intimidation to discourage public criticism.

“Our responsibility should be to educate citizens on how to express themselves within the confines of the law, not to silence them through fear,” he said.