The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has condemned the one-year prison sentence handed to Madam Camilla Alhassan by the Accra Circuit Court, describing the conviction as a threat to free speech and constitutional democracy in Ghana.

In a statement issued on July 16, 2026, and signed by the party’s General Secretary, Justin Kodua Frimpong, the NPP said it was shocked by the court’s decision to convict and sentence Madam Alhassan for offensive conduct over comments she made online about President John Dramani Mahama.

The party argued that imprisoning a citizen over comments made in the exercise of free expression raises serious constitutional concerns, insisting that freedom of speech is protected under Article 21 of the 1992 Constitution.

According to the NPP, if the President believed he had been defamed, the appropriate remedy should have been a civil defamation suit rather than criminal prosecution.

The statement accused the state of using the police, the Attorney General and the courts to punish a citizen for expressing an opinion, adding that such actions could discourage Ghanaians from freely expressing their views.

The NPP criticised the treatment of Madam Alhassan during the court proceedings and after her conviction.

It described the manner in which she was handled by security officers as dehumanising and said it undermined the dignity of the individual and public confidence in law enforcement.

The party called on the Ghana Police Service to uphold the Constitution and protect the rights of citizens rather than become an instrument of intimidation.

It further appealed to civil society organisations, the Ghana Bar Association, the media and human rights groups to speak against what it described as the criminalisation of free expression.

The NPP urged the National Peace Council to encourage the government to uphold constitutional freedoms, while calling on the diplomatic community and Ghana’s international partners to continue supporting democratic values and the protection of civil liberties in the country.

The party announced that it would support an immediate appeal against Madam Alhassan’s conviction and sentence.

It pledged to stand with her and her legal team to pursue every lawful avenue to challenge the ruling.

The NPP maintained that Ghana must not return to a period where citizens fear expressing their views, stressing that it would continue to defend the constitutional rights of Ghanaians to speak freely and hold those in authority accountable.

By: Jacob Aggrey

The Chief of Agric Nzema in the Ashanti Region, Nana Nkansah Boadu, has criticised the General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Justin Frimpong Kodua, over his handling of the party’s parliamentary primary dispute in the Afigya Sekyere East Constituency.

Speaking on Okay Fm on July 16, 2026, Nana Nkansah Boadu accused Mr. Kodua of failing to properly manage the aftermath of the constituency election, which was marred by chaos and later led to legal and internal party disputes.

According to him, the General Secretary focused on administrative decisions instead of checking on the welfare of party members following the disturbances.

He claimed that after the incident, he personally visited the constituency to ensure party supporters were safe, adding that Mr. Kodua did not make similar efforts.

“I went to check whether everybody was safe after the incident, but all he was thinking about was cancelling the elections,” Nana Nkansah Boadu alleged.

He further warned against any attempt to annul the outcome of the constituency election, insisting that party members would resist such a decision.

“If he thinks he should cancel the elections, he will see. If he is a man, let him say the elections should be conducted again. Nobody will go and vote,” he stated.

The traditional leader also alleged that there was growing dissatisfaction among party supporters over the handling of the matter, claiming that some members had staged demonstrations against the General Secretary’s actions.

In addition, Nana Nkansah Boadu accused Mr. Kodua of prioritising money and political interests over the unity and welfare of the party, alleging that his leadership style had contributed to the NPP’s challenges in opposition.

He further criticised Mr. Kodua’s role in the Afigya Sekyere East dispute, which followed the party’s parliamentary primary and later resulted in legal action and the arrest of one of the aspirants, Kwabena Afrifa.

By: Jacob Aggrey