Bryan Acheampong, the Member of Parliament for Abetifi and Minister of Food and Agriculture, has been requested to be detained and charged by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) by the NDC’s legal team.
The petition is in response to the remarks made by the Minister over Easter at Mpraeso in the Eastern Region.
Speaking to party supporters on April 8 in Mpraeso, Mr. Acheampong declared that the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) will never cede control to the opposition NDC in 2025.
Abraham Amaliba, the NDC’s director of legal affairs, characterised Bryan Acheampong’s statement as a threat to Ghana’s security and an insult to the constitution.
Abraham Amaliba urged the police to detain Bryan Acheampong right away in a statement to the media after submitting a petition to the Ghana Police Service on the situation.
“We were at the CID headquarters to deliver a petition to the CID chief requesting that the department detain, look into, and bring charges against Minister of Agriculture Bryan Acheampong for the derogatory remarks he made over the Easter vacation. You are aware that he declared in a popular video that the NPP will never cede power to the NDC, under any circumstances. And as attorneys, we believe that his remarks on that particular day bothered about and insulted national security.
“As attorneys, we believe the police administration must be concerned about this issue. As participants in this democratic system, we won’t stand by while one person says something that may cause instability in this nation. The head of the CID gave us her word that she would take the required action,” he stated.
The petition’s excerpts state: “That Your Petitioner says that the said Bryan Acheampong continued to say that they—NPP—will demonstrate to the NDC that the NPP has the men and that the NPP will use every legal and illegal means—including violence—to maintain their position of power no matter what happens in the general elections of 2024. I’ve included audio and video recordings of Hon. Bryan Acheampong’s statements here for your review.
The words made by Bryan Acheampong, in the opinion of Your Petitioner and the general public, “may be construed to suggest that the NPP has formed a vast strategy to usurp the will of the people of Ghana in the 2024 elections and any attempt to defy them will be greeted with violence.”
Dr. Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe, a founding member of the New Patriotic Party, criticised the member of parliament for Abetifi for asserting that the ruling party will maintain its grasp on power at any costs.
The NDC urged the Ghana Police Service to detain and charge the Member right away for remarks it deemed careless and treasonous.
Nonetheless, Bryan Acheampong was defended by the National Patriotic Party in a statement.
Flagbearer candidate for NDC Speaking to party delegates at the Akuapem North and South Constituencies at Akropong in the Eastern region on Tuesday, John Dramani Mahama declared that the NDC would not downplay the importance of God in the 2024 elections, despite the NPP’s stance. The NDC, he claimed, is unconcerned by Bryan Acheampong’s assertion.