President John Dramani Mahama and former Vice‑President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia have publicly urged Ghana’s two major parties to curb the rising tide of insults and personal attacks in political debate. They said the country’s democracy is being undermined by “abusive language” that is amplified through social media and rewarded by political actors.
Mahama and Bawumia highlighted that criticism of policy or performance is a democratic right, but that it should not devolve into attacks on a leader’s dignity or personal characteristics. They called on the National Democratic Congress and the New Patriotic Party to condemn such behaviour consistently, even when it is directed at their own ranks.
The leaders warned that when political communicators receive praise or appointments for shouting the loudest, it signals to supporters that insults are a viable path to influence. They urged leaders to instead model respectful challenge: “Challenge our opponents on their record, policies and ideas, but respect their dignity.”
In addition, they cautioned against using criminal prosecution as a default response to offensive speech. Ghana had repealed criminal libel and sedition laws in 2001, and the officials stressed that civil remedies and the right of reply should be the tools for addressing defamation, not imprisonment. However, they made clear that genuine threats or incitement to violence remain punishable.
Both Mahama and Bawumia appealed to religious and traditional leaders—such as the National House of Chiefs, Christian Council of Ghana and the Office of the National Chief Imam—to use their moral authority to restore civility. They reminded the nation that, beyond party lines, all Ghanaians share a common dignity that must be protected in public discourse.
They concluded that responsibility for a respectful political conversation lies with everyone: politicians, media, social media users and ordinary citizens. The leaders called for a collective effort to stop the culture of insults that threatens Ghana’s democratic health.
