The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has launched a strong attack on the arrest and remand of its Sunyani East Communications Officer, Abubakar Yakubu, popul
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has launched a strong attack on the arrest and remand of its Sunyani East Communications Officer, Abubakar Yakubu, popularly known as Baba Amando, describSunyani East Communications Officer, Abubakar Yakubu, popularly known as Baba Amando, describing the development as a politically motivated abuse of state power and judicial overreach.
Addressing a press conference on April 15, 2026, the party’s National Organizer, Henry Nana Boakye, alleged that the case represents a dangerous trend where law enforcement and the judiciary are being used to suppress dissenting voices under the administration of John Dramani Mahama.
According to the NPP, Baba Amando honoured a police invitation in Sunyani on April 13, 2026, in the company of his lawyer, Alfred Tuah Yeboah, but was subsequently transported to Accra under what officers reportedly described as “orders from above.”
The party stated that although he was initially granted police bail and directed to report to the Police Headquarters the following day, he was instead taken to court upon reporting, without any new evidence or prosecutorial request for remand.
The party insists that even the prosecution did not oppose bail nor apply for remand, raising concerns about the basis of the court’s decision.
The NPP further accused the presiding judge, Justice Kuunsong of Circuit Court 9, of abandoning judicial neutrality by ordering a two-week remand despite arguments from the defence team led by Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin.
According to the party, the defence had demonstrated that Baba Amando was not a flight risk and had consistently complied with police directives.
The party argues that the judge’s decision contradicts both legal reasoning and the actions of the police, who had earlier granted bail.
Placing the incident in a broader political context, the NPP claimed the arrest reflects a pattern of targeting opposition communicators. It cited the recent arrest of Kwame Baffoe Abronye, the party’s Bono Regional Chairman, over separate allegations of defamatory remarks, as further evidence of what it described as a “conveyor belt of political persecution.”
The party contrasted this with past statements made by figures within the ruling government, including Samuel Nartey George and Felix Kwakye Ofosu, arguing that similar or more controversial remarks have not attracted legal action.
The statement also revisited comments made by President Mahama during the 2024 election period, where he accused the previous administration led by Nana Akufo-Addo of influencing the judiciary—raising questions, according to the NPP, about consistency in political rhetoric and accountability.
The party questioned why statements made by its own communicators are being criminalised while similar comments by political opponents go unpunished.
In its demands, the NPP called for an immediate review of Baba Amando’s remand, an end to what it described as the weaponisation of law enforcement agencies, and an investigation by the Chief Justice into alleged judicial bias.
The party also condemned the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) over what it described as an unlawful raid on the residence of former GIHOC Managing Director Maxwell Kofi Jumah, alleging a broader pattern of intimidation.
The party concluded by urging the government to focus on addressing key national challenges—including unemployment, rising living costs, energy concerns, and illegal mining—rather than engaging in what it termed political vendettas.
Reaffirming its stance, the NPP maintained that free speech must be protected and called for the immediate release of Baba Amando, warning that the democratic credentials are at risk if such actions persist.
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