New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has condemned the arrest and remand of Techiman-based nurse Salomey Bafor Awiti over an alleged role in the publication and circulation of false news on social media.
Awiti, who has a four-year-old child, was remanded in police custody by the Adenta Circuit Court after pleading not guilty to a charge of abetment of the publication of false news. Prosecutors allege that she acted as a liaison for Barbara Asantewaa Kodua, popularly known as “Ghana Jollof”, and assisted in disseminating content on TikTok.
The court refused her bail application, with the prosecution arguing that investigations were still ongoing. The case has been adjourned to September 30, 2026.
In a social media post on Friday, September 18, Bawumia said the circumstances surrounding Awiti’s arrest raised concerns about the protection of fundamental rights and freedoms in Ghana.
He questioned the reported circumstances of her arrest, saying it was worrying that she was picked up in the middle of the night by national intelligence officers and subsequently remanded.
“This is not the Ghana we want to build. 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.”
Bawumia said he opposed the use of insults in political discourse and urged political actors and citizens to engage one another respectfully.
He, however, argued that restrictions on free speech could have implications for Ghana’s democracy.
“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 added that the government must ensure that the right to free speech is protected, even when expressions are considered offensive.
“Free speech, as unpalatable as it may be sometimes, is the foundation of our democracy,” he said.
Bawumia also criticised what he described as the selective application of the law, arguing that people accused of similar conduct should be treated equally regardless of who is the target of their comments.
“Even more worrying is the government’s continuous selective applications 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.
The development comes after the Ghana Police Service declared 40-year-old Barbara Asantewaa Kodua wanted in connection with an alleged case of inciting violence. Police said Kodua, who is believed to be in the United Kingdom, was last seen at the Accra International Airport on August 4, 2022.
Police did not provide further details in the wanted notice about the specific content allegedly constituting incitement to violence.
The case involving Awiti remains before the court, while investigations continue.
