Flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) for the 2028 elections, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has called for the immediate release of Techiman-based nurse and mother of three, Salomey Bafor Awiti, who has been remanded for two weeks over allegations of abetting the publication of false news.
Awiti is alleged to have links to the anonymous “Ghana Jollof” social media account. A London-based Ghanaian nurse, Barbara Asantewaa Kodua, has also been declared wanted after being identified as the alleged operator of the account.
In a Facebook post on Friday, September 18, Dr Bawumia expressed concern over Awiti’s arrest, particularly reports that she was picked up in the middle of the night by national intelligence officers before being remanded.
He described the development as worrying and cautioned against actions that could undermine citizens’ right to free expression.
“This is not the Ghana we want to build,” Dr Bawumia said.
He said that if elected President, he would ensure that Ghana’s intelligence agencies are not used to pursue citizens simply for insulting the President or other public figures.
“I can assure Ghanaians that when given the opportunity, our intelligence agencies will not be reduced to chasing citizens for insulting the President or anyone else,” he wrote.
Dr Bawumia also reiterated his opposition to a politics of insults, urging political actors and citizens to engage one another with decorum.
“I have always disavowed a politics of insults and will remind all in the political space of the need to be decorous. The ideas we need to transform our nation won’t come from insults,” he said.
However, he stressed that opposition to abusive or insulting speech should not be used as a basis for restricting legitimate freedom of expression.
According to him, the government must respect the constitutional right to free speech, warning that unnecessary restrictions could weaken Ghana’s democratic development.
“But I also remind the NDC government that any infringement on the right to free speech pushes our democracy backwards. Free speech, as unpalatable as it may be sometimes, is the foundation of our democracy,” he stated.
The former Vice President also accused the government of selectively applying the law, arguing that some people are able to make insulting comments without facing legal consequences while others are arrested depending on who their comments target.
“Even more worrying is the government’s continuous selective application of our laws. Some citizens can insult and walk freely and others are jailed because the government doesn’t like the target of their insults,” he said.
Dr Bawumia subsequently appealed for Awiti and others facing similar charges to be released.
“Please release Salomey Bafor Awiti and others who have been similarly charged and jailed,” he said.
He ended his statement by urging Ghanaians to protect democratic freedoms and resist what he described as “oppressors’ rule.”
