Private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu has criticised arrests over free speech under President John Dramani Mahama, claiming the administration has detained more people for political utterances in about 18 months than former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo did in eight years.
Kpebu described the comparison as damaging to the government and warned that the arrests could gradually erode the goodwill with which Mahama returned to office. “It is a bad record for John Mahama,” he said.
Comparison presented without figures
Kpebu did not provide a numerical breakdown or list of cases during the discussion. His comparison therefore remains an assertion rather than a verified count.
His broader argument was less complicated. Insults directed at presidents and other public officials may be offensive, he said, but arresting every person who crosses that line is neither practical nor healthy for democratic debate.
“You can’t shut people down by arrests,” Kpebu said.
He recalled the harsh language directed at political leaders under previous administrations, arguing that such comments did not always result in detention.
He cited criticism of Akufo-Addo as well as remarks made by late former President Jerry John Rawlings about former President John Agyekum Kufuor.
Different response to offensive speech
Kpebu called for a national discussion on how Ghana should handle offensive political commentary. He suggested fines or public condemnation as possible alternatives where a response is considered necessary. “Allow Ghanaians to talk,” he said.
The lawyer was not endorsing insults. He was questioning whether the power of arrest should be used whenever a public official feels offended, especially when the speech does not amount to a threat or another recognised offence.
NPP protest provides political backdrop
Kpebu’s comments followed the New Patriotic Party’s Democracy Under Attack demonstration in Accra on Thursday, August 6.
The NPP accused the government of political persecution, selective justice and the misuse of state institutions. It also complained about the arrest and alleged harassment of some party members over their public comments.
The government has rejected the accusation that it is directing security agencies to intimidate political opponents.
Kpebu’s warning adds a legal voice to the argument. His message to Mahama was direct: offensive speech may be ugly, but using arrests to contain it risks creating a larger political problem for the administration.
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