The Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mustapha Gbande, has dismissed allegations by the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) that the government is attempting to suppress free speech, insisting that recent arrests are lawful and necessary to maintain order.

Speaking on Joy FM’s Top Story, Mr. Gbande questioned claims that the government is gagging citizens.

“Why would anyone say we are trying to gag people from expressing their views? The NDC and its government find ourselves on a trajectory where they have been accused by a large portion of our people in this country of pampering the NPP, tolerating their ills and misconduct, and over-tolerating their destructive tendencies and obstructionist behaviour.

"That, for me, is not democracy. We are not building a banana republic. We are a country governed by the full rigour of the rule of law," he said.

His comments were in response to accusations by the NPP following its demonstration in Sunyani, where the party alleged increasing intimidation and politically motivated arrests under the administration of President John Dramani Mahama.

Mr. Gbande maintained that while freedom of expression is guaranteed under Ghana’s 1992 Constitution, it is not absolute and must be exercised responsibly within the confines of the law.

“It is the responsibility of every government to ensure that citizens behave in a manner that does not jeopardise public order and national security,” he stated.

He rejected claims that arrests of individuals amount to political persecution, arguing that law enforcement agencies are acting within their mandate.

“If someone commits an offence and is arrested, it does not mean there is no rule of law simply because the person belongs to the NPP,” he added.

The NDC official also criticised the opposition’s demonstration, describing it as an attempt to misrepresent lawful processes and deflect attention from its own record in government.

According to him, the NPP’s current position in opposition is a result of what he described as past mismanagement, corruption, and poor governance.

“The NPP did not go into opposition because of demonstrations. They are there because of their own actions,” he said.

Mr. Gbande emphasised that Ghana’s democratic institutions, particularly the judiciary, remain functional and capable of addressing any grievances arising from arrests or law enforcement actions.