The Minority Caucus in Parliament, led by Hon. Patricia Appiagyei, MP for Asokwa and Deputy Minority Leader, has sounded the alarm over what she described as a systematic campaign of political persecution and witch-hunting targeting former government officials and opposition figures.
Addressing the press at Parliament House, Hon. Appiagyei decried a disturbing pattern of intimidation, harassment, and the weaponization of state security agencies to settle political scores.
“We wish to bring to the attention of the general public the rise of an alarming trend where political witch-hunting in the form of orchestrated harassment of former government officials, threats, targeted attacks, and state-sponsored aggression and intimidation are being used as tools to settle political scores.
“Ghana’s political climate is undergoing a perilous shift and we will not tolerate the erosion of our democracy.”
Hon. Patricia Appiagyei, MP for Asokwa Constituency and Deputy Minority Leader
The caucus cited recent raids, forced entries, and selective justice as indicators of Ghana’s slide into authoritarian governance.
The most egregious case, according to the Minority, was the forceful entry into the residence of former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta on Tuesday, February 11, 2025.
According to Hon. Appiagyei, armed military personnel, police officers, and plainclothes security operatives stormed Mr. Ofori-Atta’s private residence without a warrant.
The operation, described by the Minority as “a state-sanctioned act of lawlessness,” involved the ransacking of the premises and a full-scale search, which yielded nothing.
“As a matter of fact, the government was fully aware that Mr Ofori Atta was out of the country seeking medical attention, having informed both the former and current chief of staff about his whereabouts. Yet, they proceeded with this reckless display of power, exposing their deep seated desire to harass and humiliate political opponents under the guise of security operations.
“”Video footage from Mr Ofori Atta’s residence shows one Richard Jakpa, a known NDC activist, recently trialled in the ambulance purchase scandal, leading the raid conducted without a warrant or in accordance with the law.”
Hon. Patricia Appiagyei, MP for Asokwa Constituency and Deputy Minority Leader
The involvement of a politically affiliated individual in a security operation in the view of Hon. Appiagyei raises serious questions about state complicity in what appears to be a targeted witch hunt.
The Deputy Minority Leader further bemoaned the development, arguing that the reckless abuse of power executed under full military backing signal a disturbing shift towards authoritarian governance.
To her, this implies a regime where brute force is now replacing the process and politics, replacing due process and political witch hunts are being disguised as security operations.
She emphasized that the raid carried out at the former Finance Minister’s residence was nothing short of a state orchestrated assault on individual freedoms and an alarming escalation in the abuse of powers.
Targeting of Other Former Government Officials
The Minority also cited other incidents that it believes reflect a troubling trend. It alleged that on Monday, February 3, 2025, the residence of Lord Commey, former Director of Operations at the Jubilee House, was raided, with his vehicle unlawfully seized.
Similarly, the Minority claimed that former Defense Minister Dominic Nitiwul was reportedly pursued by security operatives, who forcefully seized his vehicle while it was at a car wash.
Hon. Appiagyei slammed the government for its hypocrisy, recalling that the same administration, while in opposition, vehemently condemned the use of military force in political matters.
“The very leaders who cried foul over what they claim to be military intimidation while in opposition are now wielding state power in an even more reckless and tyrannical manner. This is not governance. It is a hostile takeover”.
Hon. Patricia Appiagyei, Mp for Asokwa Constituency and Deputy Minority Leader
OSP Labels Ken Ofori-Atta a Suspect Without Due Process
Further compounding the Minority’s concerns, the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) held a press conference following the raid, unilaterally declaring Mr. Ofori-Atta is a suspect and a fugitive—despite the fact that no formal charges have been brought against him.
The Minority condemned this as a blatant breach of due process and an attempt to tarnish the former minister’s reputation without lawful justification.
The Minority also pointed to clear double standards in the actions of the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB).
It claimed that on Monday, February 10, 2025, the NIB swiftly summoned Minority Chief Whip Hon. Frank Annor-Dompreh for questioning over comments he made regarding the disputed Ablekuma North Parliamentary election results.
Hon. Patricia Appiagyei noted that Hon. Annor Dompreh’s call for NPP supporters to “protect their own” was immediately flagged as incitement.
In contrast, she pointed out that Mustapha Gbande, Deputy General Secretary of the NDC and Deputy Director of Operations at the Presidency, openly declared on live television on February 7, 2025, that the NDC would “sacrifice” Minority Leader Hon. Alexander Afenyo-Markin.
Despite this direct threat, Hon. Appiagyei decried that the NIB took no action, did not summon Mr Gbande for questioning, and made no attempt to investigate what the she described as “a criminal incitement to harm.”
Hon. Appiagyei questioned why a perceived comment from an opposition figure warranted immediate state intervention, while a direct threat from a senior government official was ignored.
This, she argued, underscores the dangerous politicization of Ghana’s security apparatus.
Call for Immediate Action and International Intervention
The Minority Caucus, in a strong call to action, issued an urgent demand for an immediate, transparent, and independent investigation into these incidents. It insisted that those responsible for these politically motivated attacks must be held accountable.
Furthermore, Hon. Appiagyei called on all democracy-loving Ghanaians, civil society organizations, religious groups, traditional authorities, and the international community to take note of these alarming developments.
She warned that if unchecked, these abuses would erode Ghana’s hard-won democratic gains and set the country back by decades.
“No democracy can survive when its institutions become weapons for political vengeance. No citizen, no matter how highly placed, is safe when due process is replaced with brute force. 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.”
Hon. Patricia Appiagyei, Mp for Asokwa Constituency and Deputy Minority Leader
The Minority concluded its statement with a firm caution to the government: power is transient, and history will not be kind to those who weaponize state institutions for oppression.
The Deputy Minority Leader vowed to continue championing justice, fairness, and democratic governance, warning that tyranny will not be allowed to replace democracy in Ghana.
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