Free Speech vs. Security: NPP Women's Leader Calls for Restraint in Arrests
In a bold and timely intervention, Kate Gyamfua, the National Women's Organiser of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has publicly condemned the recent wave of arrests targeting women for exercising their right to free speech in Ghana. Her remarks, made on Peace FM on September 28, 2026, come at a critical moment when the nation is grappling with the delicate balance between protecting national security and upholding constitutional freedoms.
Gyamfua argued that while some political speech may be critical or even insulting to the government, it should not automatically be treated as a criminal offence. She called for restraint in the numerous arrests, particularly those targeting women believed to be affiliated with the NPP, emphasizing that plain insults in the body politic should be condemned by all, but should not lead to arrests, incarceration, or harsh bail conditions for mothers.
Selective Enforcement Concerns
The NPP Women's Organiser accused the John Mahama administration of selective enforcement, pointing out that offensive political speech has existed across different administrations and political traditions. She traced the roots of the politics of insults to 2007, when the Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia, referred to 17 NPP presidential aspirants as '17 thieves'.
Gyamfua further highlighted how Kevin Taylor, a controversial figure, was given heroic treatment by the Mahama administration despite making constant attacks on women, including Hajia Samira Bawumia, former Second Lady, and other female NPP members, celebrities, and media personnel. She noted that Taylor was shepherded through the VIP section of the Accra International Airport, given security protection, and even had an arrest warrant quashed by the Supreme Court.
Recent Arrests Spark Concern
The comments follow a series of arrests that have raised eyebrows across the country. Salomey Awity Baffoe, a 40-year-old mother of three and Senior Nursing Officer from Hansua in the Techiman Municipality, was arrested and remanded for two weeks over allegations that she operates the TikTok account 'Ghana Jollof', which has been critical of government officials.
Earlier this month, NPP social media activist Efya Royal was also arrested over allegations that she shared a post originally published by 'Ghana Jollof'. In July, Camila Alhassan, a 43-year-old TikToker, was sentenced to one year in prison with hard labour for posting videos on TikTok.
A Call for Intervention
Gyamfua described these arrests as presenting the NDC government as a vindictive administration, particularly when the same administration pardoned the Montie Three, who had threatened to rape former Chief Justice Georgina Wood. She stressed that the situation is particularly concerning at a time when Ghana has its first female Vice-President.
She consequently appealed to Vice-President Prof Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang and First Lady Lordina Mahama to intervene on behalf of women detained or convicted over social media-related offences, including by supporting lawful processes for their release or pardon where applicable.
Support for the Detained
Meanwhile, the NPP National Women's Organiser has disclosed that she has sent a team to visit the incarcerated Camila Alhassan and has since provided some support to her children. This move underscores the party's commitment to standing by its members during challenging times.
As Ghana continues to navigate its democratic journey, the debate over free speech versus national security remains a critical conversation. The coming weeks will reveal whether the Mahama administration will heed these calls for restraint and due process, or whether the current approach will continue to spark controversy and division.