The 2024 New Patriotic Party (NPP) running mate, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, has called on Ghanaians to uphold respect and responsibility when engaging in political discussions, cautioning against turning democratic freedoms into a licence for insults and personal attacks.
In a Facebook post on Tuesday, August 11, Dr Opoku Prempeh, popularly known as NAPO, acknowledged that democracy thrives on open disagreement. He said citizens must be free to question leaders, challenge political parties and criticise policies and ideas, but such criticism should not come at the expense of human dignity.
“One of the great strengths of democracy is that it allows us to disagree openly,” he wrote, stressing that disagreement only loses its democratic value when it becomes an excuse for abuse.
According to NAPO, respect should not be confused with silence or an unwillingness to hold public officials accountable. Rather, it should shape how criticism is delivered.
“Respect has never meant silence. It has never meant that elders, leaders or public officials are beyond criticism,” he said. “It means that even when we speak firmly, we remember that the person before us is still human.”
He expressed concern about what he described as a growing trend in Ghana’s public conversations, where political arguments are increasingly replaced by personal attacks.
“Instead of answering an argument, we attack the person making it. Instead of presenting a different view, we question another person’s intelligence, background, appearance or humanity,” he observed.
NAPO distinguished between criticism and insult, arguing that while criticism can contribute to better public discourse, insults are often intended to humiliate, provoke or silence opponents.
“Criticism identifies what is wrong and can help us think about what must improve. Insult seeks only to humiliate, provoke or silence,” he stated.
The former minister also acknowledged that public officials must be prepared to face criticism, describing it as an essential part of leadership and public service.
“A leader who is unwilling to be questioned is unwilling to learn,” he said.
He further warned that the tone of political discourse could influence younger generations, particularly when provocative language and personal attacks attract more attention than reasoned arguments.
“When cruelty is rewarded with attention and insults are mistaken for courage, young people learn that the loudest voice matters more than the strongest argument,” NAPO cautioned.
He therefore urged Ghanaians to preserve the values of courtesy, restraint and communal respect while remaining firm in their political convictions.
“We can disagree firmly without becoming disrespectful. We can challenge public officials without dehumanising them. We can defend our political beliefs without treating those on the other side as enemies,” he said.
NAPO concluded by emphasising that freedom of expression must be accompanied by responsibility, urging Ghanaians to build a political culture where disagreements lead to better ideas rather than personal hostility. “Democracy requires freedom of expression, but it also requires responsibility of expression,” he wrote
