Democracy Hub Slams NDC Govt Over Crackdown On Free Speech

Pressure group Democracy Hub has rebuked the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government over what it describes as wanton attacks on free expression and blatant abuse of state power.

In a press statement titled "From Opposition Critics To Oppressors", signed by The Conveners, the group said it has observed with grave concern the government's persistent crackdown on free speech under the pretext of "threatening national security."

According to Democracy Hub, the recent actions are not isolated policing errors but a coordinated attempt to silence citizens critical of state actors, public institutions and security agencies.

The group cited the detention of Facebook commentators and the harassment of TikTok creators, including the recent arrests of Ofa Yaw (Nation's Uncle) and Salomey Baffoe, as examples of the pattern.

Democracy Hub reminded government that in the run-up to the elections, the NDC campaigned vigorously against the weaponization of the police to stifle dissent, and described it as deeply alarming that the same party is now replicating the abuses it once condemned.

"In a constitutional democracy, where Article 21(1)(a) of the 1992 Constitution guarantees free speech and expression, protection, recognition, and respect of these rights are non-negotiable, even when speech is offensive, provocative, or derogatory," the statement said.

The group argued that no crude remark or harsh criticism justifies state-sponsored intimidation, accusing the state of weaponizing a false equivalence by treating angry hyperbole and vulgar political dissent as credible national security threats.

"The constitutional guarantee of free expression is rendered meaningless if the state replaces freedom of speech with fear after speech," it added.

Democracy Hub also called on the judiciary to assert its independence and not act as puppets of the Executive or rubber-stamp state overreach.

"What the NDC rightly decried in opposition cannot become state policy under their government," the statement concluded.