Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has called for an end to what he describes as selective justice and political retaliation, insisting that the opposition supports accountability but rejects what it sees as the unequal application of the law.
Speaking at the “Democracy Under Attack” demonstration on Thursday, August 6, Afenyo-Markin alleged that some Members of Parliament are being investigated after making contributions on the floor of Parliament.
“We are not against accountability, but we are against selective justice,” he said.
He argued that MPs should not be invited by investigative agencies simply because they have spoken in Parliament, describing the practice as an example of selective law enforcement.
The Minority Leader also referenced concerns previously raised by some members of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) over the treatment of suspects.
He noted that former Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu had complained in Parliament about what he described as unlawful detention conditions, while Interior Minister Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak had also expressed concerns on the issue.
Afenyo-Markin maintained that the opposition is simply exercising its democratic right to criticise the government and said such criticism should not be met with intimidation.
He urged political leaders to abandon what he called the “you do me, I do you” style of politics, arguing that Ghana’s democracy can only grow if successive governments avoid targeting their political opponents.
“As a country, we must end this vicious cycle of ‘you do me, I do you.’ I’ve been talking about this for quite some time now,” he said.
He stressed that his position is based on principle rather than party interest.
“I don’t say this because it is my people who are going through this situation. I say this because all my life I’ve believed that we can do politics in a very decent way. I believe in that decent approach to politics.”
Afenyo-Markin also called on political leaders to focus more on tackling the country’s development challenges than engaging in partisan disputes.
“If you leave Accra and go deep into the hinterlands, you see the serious underdevelopment in our country. That should be what should occupy our minds as political leaders,” he said.
He warned that continued political persecution could make it harder for moderate voices within the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to restrain hardliners if the party returns to power.
“For me, if they don’t stop, it will be difficult for the moderates in the NPP to calm the nerves of the extremists when the NPP comes to office tomorrow. But is that what we want as a country? No. That’s not what we want.”
He concluded by saying the demonstration was not against Ghana but a call for fairness, justice and the protection of democratic principles.
