Deputy Minority leader Patricia Appiagyei has raised alarm over what she describes as a ‘dangerous shift’ in Ghana’s political climate, marked by state-sponsored intimidation, selective justice, and the weaponization of security forces against political opponents.
Her lamentation follows a series of high-profile raids and targeted attacks on former government officials, which she condemned as a blatant assault on democracy and the rule of law.
Addressing the media in Parliament on Thursday, February 13, 2025, Hon. Appiagyei cited the raid on the private residence of former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta on Tuesday, February 11, 2025, as a glaring example of government overreach.
Armed military personnel, police officers, and plainclothes security operatives stormed Ofori-Atta’s home without a warrant, ransacked the premises, and left empty-handed. The former minister, who was out of the country seeking medical attention, had reportedly informed both the former and current Chiefs of Staff of his whereabouts, raising questions about the motive behind the raid.
“This reckless display of power exposes the government’s deep-seated desire to harass and humiliate political opponents under the guise of security operations.”
“Video footage shows Richard Jakpa, a known NDC activist recently implicated in the ambulance purchase scandal, leading the raid. This is not about security; it is a state-orchestrated assault on individual freedoms,” she stated.
The Deputy Minority Leader also criticized the ‘glaring double standards in the administration of justice,’ citing the swift summoning of Minority Chief Whip Frank Annoh-Dompreh for questioning over comments he made about the disputed Ablekuma North parliamentary election results.
“In contrast, Mustapha Gbande, the Deputy General Secretary of the NDC and Deputy Director of Operations at the Presidency, faced no consequences after openly threatening the life of Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin on live television.”
“Why was Hon. Annoh-Dompreh swiftly summoned for interrogation while Mr. Gbande, who made explicit threats against the Minority Leader, was allowed to walk free?” Appiagyei questioned.
“This selective application of justice is a dangerous precedent that undermines the rule of law and exposes the politicization of our security agencies,” she added.
Hon. Patricia Appiagyei called on Ghanaians, civil society organizations, religious groups, traditional authorities, and the international community to stand against what she described as a ‘wave of political persecution and state-sponsored intimidation.’
She demanded an immediate, transparent, and independent investigation into the raids and harassment of former officials, urging the government to cease using security forces for political vendettas.
She declared, “No democracy can survive when its institutions become weapons for political vengeance. If we allow this lawlessness to continue unchecked, tomorrow it will not just be politicians who are targeted, but ordinary Ghanaians who hold dissenting views.”
The Deputy Minority leader pleaded for preserving Ghana’s democratic principles and warned that the caucus and the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) would not allow tyranny to replace democracy.
She reminded the government that power is transient and that history will not judge kindly those who turn state institutions into instruments of oppression.
