Dennis Miracles Aboagye, spokesperson for former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, says the Mahama administration’s push for a special law to tackle hate speech and reckless commentary is pointless and bound to fail.
Dennis Miracles Aboagye, spokesperson for former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, believes that introducing a new law to tackle hate speech and inflammatory remarks would be unnecessary, as existing legislation already addresses such concerns.
His remarks follow recent comments by former President John Dramani Mahama, who has called for regulations to govern the use of social media in Ghana. Mr. Mahama warned that the unchecked spread of hate speech online could incite violence and pose a serious threat to national peace and cohesion.
Speaking during his first media engagement since launching his campaign, Mr. Mahama was questioned about anonymous social media accounts pushing divisive tribal and ethnic narratives.
In response, he emphasized the need for oversight of platforms like TikTok, Facebook, and X (formerly Twitter). While acknowledging the value of these platforms in promoting citizen journalism, he expressed concern over how easily they can be misused.
“We now have a generation of what I call ‘new journalists’—anyone with a smartphone can share news or offer commentary on national issues,” Mahama said. “The challenge is, who holds them accountable when they spread falsehoods or incite hatred under the cover of anonymity?”
Former President John Mahama recently expressed concern over rising hate speech and incitement to violence on social media platforms, particularly WhatsApp, TikTok, and others.
He pointed out that, while Ghana has repealed its criminal libel laws, there are still legal provisions in place to hold individuals accountable for inflammatory content.
“If you look at some WhatsApp groups or scroll through TikTok commentaries, you’ll see clear instances of hate speech and calls to violence—these are criminal offenses,” Mahama noted. “Even though we’ve done away with criminal libel, other laws still exist to address such behavior.”
In response, Dennis Miracles Aboagye, spokesperson for Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, pushed back strongly in a Facebook post, criticizing the call for new social media regulations.
“I’m certain the NDC government knows that any move to legislate free speech or introduce laws aimed at silencing citizens will ultimately fail,” he wrote. “Ironically, the same Minister for Communications and Digitalisation—who was once a leading voice against the previous government—is now championing a law to control social media. But even she must know this is a futile effort.”
Aboagye argued that Ghana’s current legal framework already has sufficient tools to deal with issues like hate speech, incitement, and public disorder.
“We don’t need new laws. If Ghana survived the lies told about President Akufo-Addo, if it survived claims that Bawumia owns Hubtel, and even accusations that Akufo-Addo killed his own wife—if the country endured all that without falling apart—it will survive now too,” he said. “The same people who once labeled an entire ethnic group the ‘Akyem Sakawa Mafia’ can’t now demand silence when they’re on the receiving end.”
He added that a party known for hosting outspoken voices in opposition cannot expect a different tone when in power.
“You can’t plant reckless talkers and expect to harvest saints,” he wrote. “Focus on delivering your manifesto promises. If anyone crosses the line, let the law take its course—but don’t try to suppress free speech. It’s a slippery slope.”
“You’re haunted by your own shadows,” he concluded, “but we can’t change the rules just to protect one group. You made this bed—now lie in it.”
