No Bail For Abronye DC: Minority Alleges Political Persecution

The ever audacious Bono Regional Chairman, Kwame Baffoe, popularly known as Abronye DC has no choice but to spend some more days in Police custody after he was denied bail when he appeared before an Accra court yesterday.

Abronye was arrested for what the Ghana Police Service has described as “offensive conduct”. He was sent to the Accra Circuit Court on Tuesday, September 9 but the manner in which he was handled has stirred anger among some NPP supporters present.

Abronye DC was driven to the Court in a vehicle commonly known as the ‘Black Maria’; black police van that is mostly used in transporting criminals.

When the Black Maria got to the courtyard, Abronye, wearing a type of flay cap nicknamed ‘Cooley High’,  was literally made to hop out of the paddy wagon with both his hands firmly locked in handcuffs – a sight some have described as humiliating for a political party’s regional  chairman.

The National Youth Organiser of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Salam Mustapha, speaking soon after the court hearing said his will stage a protest against the Ghana Police following the court’s decision to remand the Bono Regional Chairman, Kwame Baffoe, popularly known as Abronye DC.

With visible anger, Mustapha addressed the press outside Court after Bono Regional Chairman Kwame Baffoe, popularly known as Abronye, was remanded, saying:

“I am telling you today, we are going to demonstrate against the Police, and I, the National Youth Organiser, will lead it. This harassment of NPP members has reached its peak. Look at how our Chairman has been treated like a petty criminal. You will hear from us.

He has been remanded to reappear on the 12th of September, so on that day we will be back here. The court itself saw that they are being mischievous, because I listened and watched the judge’s demeanour and heard the arguments from both sides.

They don’t have any evidence against our Chairman, yet they have arrested him. They want him remanded in police custody just so they can go fishing for evidence. His fundamental human rights are being trampled upon. When did Ghana drop this low?”

Despite Salam Mustapha’s complaints, Abronye remains in Police custody until Friday September 12 when he is and is expected to reappear before the court.

The Ghana Police Service confirmed his arrest on Monday, September 8, citing “offensive conduct conducive to the breach of public peace.” He was detained earlier that day and remains in custody.

Although the Police have not provided full details of the conduct that triggered the arrest, the case has drawn national attention because of Abronye’s outspoken political profile. The Bono Regional Chairman is well known for his fiery commentary and controversial remarks. His arrest also comes shortly after he filed for political asylum in eight countries namely: the United States, United Kingdom, France, Italy, Canada, Spain, Germany, and Côte d’Ivoire, alleging political persecution and threats to his life.

Reactions from NPP

During investigations, police searched the home of NPP’s former Youth Organiser Moses Abor, but did not find Abronye there at the time. Abor later described the police action as intimidating and unnecessary, recounting how officers forced their way into his house.

“On Sunday, they forced their way into my house. Some even climbed over the wall to enter. I couldn’t resist them because of how they were behaving. I was home with my younger brother, so we had to cooperate,” he said

Adding to this, Moses Abor told Asempa FM that Abronye voluntarily reported to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) with his lawyers, but was later transferred quietly into the custody of the National Investigations Bureau (NIB).

“I was at the headquarters when I saw two CID officers move him out. Later, my checks confirmed he had been taken to NIB. The vehicle he came with returned, but he wasn’t in it,” he recounted.

He claimed the arrest was linked to recent comments Abronye made criticising Inspector-General of Police Christian Tetteh Yohuno. Abor argued:

 “I don’t think what Abronye said warrants an arrest or detention. People said worse things against former President Akufo-Addo and nothing happened.”

Other NPP figures also took to social media to voice their concerns. Former CEO of the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme, Kofi Ofosu Nkdsanh, posted:

“Under IGP Dampare, people from both parties were arrested when they flouted the law. IGP Yohunu only arrests and posts NPP suspects on their page. Azorka is still walking free after attacking Buga and threatening others live on TV. NDC Police, keep it up.”

Similarly, Awal Mohammed, a former PRO of the National Youth Employment Agency, wrote: “Chairman Abronye has been arrested. The Ghana Police Service has now provided NDC communicators with the picture to share before officially posting it on their page, similar to what happened with Sir Obama. Dangerous precedent!”

Minority Caucus Unhappy

In a rather strongly-worded statement, the Minority Caucus in Parliament, made up of Parliamentarians on the ticket of the NPP described the denial of bail for Abronye as political punishment and not justice.

The statement, dated Tuesday September 9 and signed by the Second Deputy Minority Chief Whip, Jerry Ahmed Shaib read:

“The circumstances surrounding Abronye DC’s arrest and detention reveal a disturbing pattern: the government is increasingly weaponising the judicial system against perceived opponents. This vague and overly broad application of the law falls far short of international standards of legal specificity. Even more troubling, his arrest follows attempts to seek political asylum in eight countries, citing persecution and threats to his life. The denial of bail and his remand clearly suggest punishment, not justice.

Jerry Ahmed Shiab, the signee of the statement, doubles as the Member of Parliament for the Weija-Gbawe Constituency in the Great Accra Region

The statement noted further the arrest and remand of Abronye DC is not an isolated case but rather a “deliberate and systemic campaign to suppress dissent”

It mentioned that journalists, social commentators, and opposition figures are harassed through arbitrary arrests and detentions while State security is deployed to intimidate citizens who expose corruption or question government narratives.

The Minority statement said such a situation has led to a climate of fear where ordinary people hesitate to exercise their constitutional right to free expression.

The statement noted further:

Such orchestrated persecution is a betrayal of the democratic principles upon which Ghana was founded. The Minority Caucus stands in solidarity with all voices of dissent and affirms their right to hold government accountable without fear of persecution.

Meanwhile, government neglect of urgent national crises is glaring. In northern Ghana, communal violence has claimed at least 31 lives and displaced nearly 50,000 people, with more than 13,000 forced to seek refuge in Côte d’Ivoire. This is not just a local tragedy; it is a regional humanitarian emergency that shames our nation. That citizens must cross international borders to find safety is an indictment of a government that has abandoned its basic duty to protect its people.

Our northern compatriots deserve urgent intervention, not the neglect and indifference that have characterized the state’s response so far. Political witch-hunts cannot be used as a smokescreen to deflect attention from this humanitarian disaster.

We also draw attention to an alarming escalation of threats against political leaders, including the Minority Leader, Hon. Osahen Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, our Chief Whip, Hon. Frank Annoh-Dompreh, and our National Organiser, Mr. Henry Nana Boakye (Nana B). Reports of assassination plots, issued openly by NDC executives and their associates while the authorities  look away, signal a dangerous deterioration of democratic tolerance.

This climate of intimidation is not a partisan issue; it is an assault on democracy itself. Such threats violate international democratic norms and cannot be dismissed as mere local politics. They demand immediate, serious investigation. The Ghana Police Service must rise above partisanship, abandon its current posture as a tool of the ruling party, and guarantee protection for all political actors, regardless of affiliation.

The Minority Caucus reiterates that this government has abandoned its constitutional obligations, choosing instead the path of authoritarian consolidation. Judicial persecution, executive overreach, economic manipulation, and security failures have converged into a perfect storm that endangers both democracy and development in Ghana.

We remain resolute in our commitment to uphold the rule of law, protect human rights, and restore public trust in our democratic institutions. Ghana’s democracy is too precious to be surrendered to fear, intimidation, and authoritarian excess.