Renowned Activist Barker-Vormawor has issued a sharp rebuke to the National Democratic Congress (NDC), cautioning the party against what he describes as “overzealous policing” that mirrors the mistakes of the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration.
The private legal practitioner, in a strong statement, expressed deep concern about the NDC’s approach to law enforcement and political dissent, urging them to resist the temptation to crack down on what he sees as inconsequential provocations.
Drawing from his own experience with arrests and state persecution under the erstwhile NPP regime, he reminded the NDC that the exercise of power, particularly through state security agencies, must be measured, mature, and guided by democratic values.
He questioned the decision by the party and its sympathisers to deploy significant security resources in response to relatively trivial political commentary.
“If every person coughs wrong and you feel the need to send in 20 security officers to arrest them, you will be led down a path of no return.”
Osagyefo Oliver Barker-Vormawor, Legal Practitioner and Activist
While Barker-Vormawor did not reference specific incidents by full name, his comments appear to be in reaction to the recent arrest and swift release of an NPP activist named Alfred Ababio Kumi, whose name has emerged in social media conversations following what some claim were inflammatory or propagandistic publications.
The activist likened this pattern to an earlier case involving the Assin South Member of Parliament, emphasising that both cases highlight a misplaced priority within the NDC.
“The first, you couldn’t even arrest. The second was given bail just 1 hour later to go and chant jama songs at the NPP headquarters. What’s all this? Mtcheew.”
Osagyefo Oliver Barker-Vormawor, Legal Practitioner and Activist
Rejection of State-Sanctioned Arrest
The Harvard and Cambridge-trained lawyer was unequivocal in his rejection of any interpretation that would justify such state-sanctioned clampdowns based on his personal experience of political persecution.
“What annoys me the most is that anytime you engage in these stupid arrests, party supporters keep tagging me and using the arrests I suffered as justification. The fact that I was persecuted does not mean I support the same. In fact, make my life a cautionary tale of overzealous policing.”
Osagyefo Oliver Barker-Vormawor, Legal Practitioner and Activist
Barker-Vormawor rose to national prominence as a leading voice of the #FixTheCountry Movement and was himself arrested and prosecuted under the Akufo-Addo administration, a case that drew local and international attention to Ghana’s human rights record.
His stance on political policing has remained consistent, with frequent warnings to both ruling and opposition parties about the abuse of law enforcement for partisan gain.
In his latest admonition, Barker-Vormawor made clear that while he supports legal action against individuals who may pose genuine threats to peace and order, he drew the line at the use of state power to silence what he called “unnecessary propaganda.”
“I will support the Government when it makes ORAL arrests,” he wrote, using the phrase to suggest that measured and appropriate verbal cautions or legal summonses are far more preferable to high-handed arrests.
“But if someone engages in unnecessary propaganda and you feel the need to show them where power lies, listen, that power will leave you. We have all seen it happen!”
Osagyefo Oliver Barker-Vormawor, Legal Practitioner and Activist
The activist suggested that the NDC is being “distracted” by trivial battles, warning that such tactics could alienate the very public they seek to court. “Stop chasing Nkwasiakeka and focus on the thieves,” he charged, invoking the Akan term for foolishness in a broader call for political maturity and focus.
“You miss opposition ong?” he asked rhetorically as he wrapped up his critique in a tone of dismay and disbelief.—a scathing statement that suggests the NDC may be inadvertently returning to opposition-style defensiveness, while government?
The activist’s warning is directed not only at the NDC but also at the larger political intolerance culture that still permeates Ghana’s multiparty democracy. No matter who is in charge, his message is clear: abusing state power is never acceptable.
Respect for fundamental liberties and democratic restraint continue to be the most credible course for any party vying for power.
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