By: Kenneth Appiah Bani
Accra came alive today, Tuesday, as thousands of supporters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) poured onto the streets for the much-publicized ‘Yɛn Suro Ahunahuna’ demonstration. The protest, which drew a massive crowd, was organized to register the party’s displeasure over what it described as widespread intimidation, political harassment, and injustice under the administration of President John Dramani Mahama.
Clad in red and black attire, with placards carrying bold inscriptions such as “Stop the Political Witch-Hunt”, “Ghana Deserves Justice”, and “No More Intimidation”, demonstrators marched peacefully through key streets of the capital. The event saw the participation of leading figures of the NPP, including party executives, Members of Parliament, and grassroots supporters, who maintained that the government’s actions were eroding democratic freedoms.
Speaking during the march, NPP leaders emphasized that the demonstration was not only a protest but also a call for accountability and fairness in the political space. They accused the Mahama-led government of using state institutions to target opposition members and suppress dissenting voices.
“This government has consistently demonstrated intolerance toward political opponents. We cannot sit unconcerned while our democracy is undermined. Today, the people of Ghana have spoken loudly against injustice,” one party executive declared.
A video of the massive protest, sighted by 1957news, captured the charged atmosphere as the NPP’s National Youth Organizer presented a petition to the Presidency. The petition urged President Mahama to instruct the security agencies to halt what the party described as “Rambo-style arrests” of its members. On behalf of government, the Chief of Staff at the Office of the Vice President, Alex Segbefia, received the petition from the NPP protesters and assured them it would be duly forwarded for consideration.
The demonstration also served as a platform for party leaders to deliver fiery speeches. Chairman Maswudu, the NPP’s Third Vice Chairman, declared: “Jubilee House is a legacy of the NPP,” and accused the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) of abandoning their promises, stressing that “the NDC is running away from their manifesto.”
Adding to the charged rhetoric, George Kwarteng, a party communicator, criticized the leadership of the Ghana Police Service, saying: “We are sick and tired of this IGP; he must go.”
Akuapim North MP, Sammi Awuku, also waded into the matter, contrasting the treatment of ruling party members with that of opposition figures. “When a ruling party chairman threatens to eliminate someone, he gets coffee with the police. But an opposition chairman makes a comment and ends up in police custody with harsh bail conditions,” he fumed.
Echoing similar sentiments, Dennis Miracles Aboagye described the trend of arrests as unjust, saying: “Arresting people and imposing unreasonable bail conditions just to keep them in jail is unfair.”
However, the protest was not without controversy. Some political observers alleged that the opposition NPP may have mobilized head porters, popularly known as kayayei, to bolster the crowd size. In an interview, one kayaye claimed: “We didn’t know we were coming for a demonstration; they told us we were going for a meeting.” This allegation has sparked debate about the ethics of political mobilization and the vulnerability of marginalized groups during heated political seasons.
The demonstration, which was heavily policed to ensure order, ended with a rally where speakers reiterated their demand for an end to what they called harassment of political opponents. They vowed to continue resisting any attempts to silence opposition voices.
The ‘Yɛn Suro Ahunahuna’ demonstration adds to the growing wave of political activism ahead of the 2025 general elections, as the NPP seeks to galvanize support and draw national attention to its concerns about governance under the Mahama administration.
Video credit: 1957News
Watch the video below:
