Founder and President of the Atta Mills Institute, Samuel Koku Anyidoho, has accused President John Dramani Mahama of helping to nurture a political environment in which individuals who engage in insults and abusive political commentary have flourished.

Expressing concern about Ghana’s increasingly hostile social-media space on Kessben Maakye show in Accra, Anyidiho said the nature of communication on new media had become alarming and is threatening the country’s social fibre.
“What is happening in the new media is very scary,” Anyidoho said, arguing that the manner in which communication is being “spewed out” is destroying the moral fibre of society.

He maintained that political disagreements should not turn citizens into enemies and warned against allowing abusive behaviour to become an accepted feature of Ghanaian politics.
His criticism comes amid a national debate over President Mahama’s approach to hate speech and abusive content online. Meanwhile, the President has asked the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) and Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) to facilitate a national conversation and develop a roadmap for addressing harmful online content while protecting freedom of expression.

Anyidoho, however, questioned whether institutional dialogue alone would address what he sees as the root of the problem. He argued that politicians and political actors must confront individuals within their own circles who engage in abusive commentary rather than merely condemning the wider phenomenon.
He specifically referenced US-based commentator Kevin Taylor, questioning what he sees as inconsistent responses to political insults. President Mahama recently said he had never met or spoken with Taylor and indicated that he would raise concerns about Taylor’s alleged insults through his father, whom the President knows.

Anyidoho further questioned the distinction between people who openly show their faces while making insulting comments and anonymous social-media users who engage in similar conduct.
President Mahama, during an engagement with Ghanaians in New York, said he personally does not mind being insulted but expressed concern about anonymous users who publish vile content. He also acknowledged that police arrests over some insults could go too far and called for Ghanaians to collectively determine how new media should be regulated.

Anyidoho argued that freedom of expression should not become an excuse to malign others or destroy reputations. He also rejected the argument that abusive political commentary is justified simply because opponents engage in similar conduct.
“If you can hire people to insult and malign others for your gain, then you must be ready for the repercussions,” he stated.
He also urged Ghanaians to take an active interest in governance rather than leaving national affairs entirely in the hands of political leaders.
“We must all be part of the governance of the country and not leave it for the government alone to think for us,” he said.

Anyidoho’s comments add to a wider political debate over how Ghana should tackle online abuse, misinformation and hate speech without undermining constitutionally protected political criticism and freedom of expression.

Former Subin Member of Parliament and New Patriotic Party (NPP) General Secretary hopeful Eugene Boakye Antwi has made a firm commitment to resign if the party fails to win the 2028 general election under his leadership.

Antwi says he would not cling to the position if the party gives him the responsibility of leading its administration into the next presidential and parliamentary elections.

His position has emerged as one of the strongest accountability statements in the ongoing contest for the NPP General Secretary position.

Speaking on Joy News, Mr Antwi said that should he become General Secretary and subsequently lead the party into the 2028 election, he would accept responsibility if the NPP loses.

“If I sit here today, God willing, on the 3rd of October when I’m the General Secretary of our party and I take the party to the 2028 election, I lose it, my job is done,” he said.

He went further to explain that he would voluntarily make way for another person rather than remain in office after an electoral defeat.

“I have to leave the scene quietly and let somebody else come and take the stage. It’s as simple as that,” he added.

Accountability at the centre of his campaign

Antwi’s position forms part of his broader argument that NPP General Secretaries must be held accountable for the party’s performance at the polls.

He has questioned why the party’s current General Secretary remained in office following the NPP’s defeat in the 2024 general election, pointing to previous instances where General Secretaries were replaced after unsuccessful elections.

For Antwi, electoral responsibility should not be separated from the person entrusted with coordinating the party’s organisational machinery.

His comments therefore place accountability at the heart of his campaign as he seeks the mandate of NPP delegates.

‘My job is done’

The former MP’s declaration also draws a clear line around what he considers personal responsibility.

Rather than waiting for pressure from within the party after a possible defeat, he says he would voluntarily step aside and allow another person to take charge.

The pledge comes as the NPP prepares for its national executive elections on October 3, 2026.

Antwi is contesting the General Secretary position alongside Justin Kodua Frimpong, Sylvester Tetteh and Charles Dwamena.

As the race enters its final stretch, his promise to resign if the party loses in 2028 has added a major accountability theme to the contest and placed his proposed leadership approach firmly before NPP delegates.

Hajia Safia has outlined an ambitious vision centred on empowering women and strengthening the grassroots structures of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

Speaking on her political agenda, she emphasised the need for greater support for women within the party while calling for renewed attention to the grassroots, which she described as the backbone of any successful political organisation.

According to Hajia Safia, empowering women should go beyond rhetoric and translate into practical opportunities that allow them to play more meaningful roles in the party and in national development.

She also stressed the importance of strengthening the connection between the party’s leadership and its grassroots members.

Her comments come at a time when internal discussions within the NPP have increasingly focused on rebuilding party structures, improving communication and ensuring that grassroots supporters remain actively involved in the party’s affairs.

Hajia Safia believes women and grassroots activists have an important role to play in shaping the future direction of the NPP.

She therefore pledged to champion initiatives that would give women greater opportunities while working to ensure that the concerns of ordinary party members receive greater attention.

The commitment has placed grassroots mobilisation and women’s participation at the centre of her political agenda, as she seeks to rally support around her vision.

She further called for unity and collective effort, arguing that a stronger grassroots structure would be essential to the party’s organisational development.

Her pledge is expected to fuel further discussions within the NPP as members consider the leadership priorities and strategies needed to strengthen the party at the grassroots level.

For Hajia Safia, the message is clear: empowering women and reconnecting with the grassroots must form an important part of efforts to build a more effective and united party structure.

The historical injustices suffered by Africa continue to shape the continent’s position in today’s global power structures, with calls growing for a more representative international system.

Africa is home to approximately 1.5 billion people, representing more than 18 per cent of the world’s population and making the continent the largest regional voting bloc in the United Nations General Assembly.

Despite this demographic strength, concerns remain about the extent to which Africa’s population and collective interests are reflected in major global decision-making institutions.

The continent’s current position has been linked to longstanding inequalities within the international system, many of which have their roots in the political and economic structures established during and after the colonial era.

“The injustices of the past remain embedded in today’s power structures,” the statement noted.

With Africa’s population continuing to grow and its influence in global affairs becoming increasingly significant, advocates for reform argue that the continent’s representation in international institutions should reflect its growing demographic and political weight.

The issue is particularly relevant at the United Nations, where African countries collectively wield significant voting power in the General Assembly.

However, representation in some of the UN’s most powerful decision-making structures remains a major point of contention, prompting renewed calls for reforms that would give Africa a stronger voice in determining global affairs.

For many African leaders and diplomats, the question is no longer simply about historical injustice but about whether the international system can adequately reflect the realities of the world as it exists today.

With more than 1.5 billion people and the continent accounting for over 18 per cent of humanity, Africa’s role in global governance is becoming increasingly difficult to overlook.

Parliament will reconvene from recess on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, following a formal summons issued by Speaker Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin.

In a notice dated Thursday, September 24, the Speaker directed Members of Parliament to report to the Chamber at Parliament House in Accra at 12 noon.

The recall comes against the backdrop of growing concerns over a number of major narcotics seizures involving consignments linked to Ghana, with the Minority in Parliament calling for the House to scrutinise the circumstances surrounding the incidents.

The Speaker’s notice, however, did not specify the particular business or matters that Parliament will consider when it meets.

The notice stated: “Pursuant to Article 112(3) of the Constitution and Order 53 of the Standing Orders of the Parliament, I, Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, the Speaker of Parliament, hereby summon Parliament to sit on Tuesday, 29th September, 2026 at twelve noon at Parliament House, Accra.”

The summons follows a petition by the Minority seeking an extraordinary sitting to address what it considers urgent national security concerns arising from several major drug seizures linked to Ghana. The Minority invoked Article 112(3) of the 1992 Constitution and Order 53 of Parliament’s Standing Orders in its request.

At the centre of the concerns is the seizure by French authorities of nearly 3.9 tonnes of cocaine at the Port of Dunkirk on September 10, 2026. The cocaine was reportedly concealed in a container of plastic waste that had arrived in France from Ghana.

The Minority has also drawn attention to other narcotics-related seizures recorded since 2025, arguing that the series of incidents raises questions about Ghana’s port security, customs procedures, intelligence gathering and the effectiveness of institutions responsible for combating drug trafficking.

Among the other cases cited is the seizure of more than 3.3 tonnes of cocaine at Pedu Junction in March 2025. The Minority has also referenced the seizure of 866 parcels of suspected cocaine at a warehouse within the Tema Harbour enclave in August 2026, as well as a 320-kilogramme methamphetamine seizure in Australia involving a consignment reportedly traced to Ghana.

The Caucus wants Parliament to establish how the consignments were processed, inspected, cleared and exported from Ghana, while also seeking information on the companies and institutions involved and the progress of investigations into the cases.

It has called for relevant Ministers and officials from institutions including the Narcotics Control Commission, Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, Ghana Revenue Authority and National Intelligence Bureau to provide answers to Parliament.

The Minority is also seeking scrutiny of the country’s scanning, surveillance, intelligence and security systems at ports, airports and other entry and exit points, as well as the measures being taken to identify the financiers, organisers and networks behind major international narcotics operations.

The push for the recall had generated differing views among lawmakers. While the Minority argued that the scale and frequency of the seizures warranted an extraordinary sitting, some Majority MPs questioned the need to recall the entire House while investigations by the relevant state agencies were ongoing.

Wa West MP and Vice Chairman of Parliament’s Defence and Interior Committee, Peter Lanchene Toobu, previously argued that existing parliamentary committees could investigate the matter without requiring the full House to return from recess. He pointed to the Defence and Interior, Transport, and Trade and Industry committees as having relevant oversight responsibilities.

With Speaker Bagbin now having formally summoned Parliament, the House is scheduled to meet at noon on September 29. The specific business for the sitting remains undisclosed in the Speaker’s notice, although the narcotics seizures and the Minority’s demand for parliamentary scrutiny are expected to form an important part of the discussions surrounding the recall.