NPP stages nationwide protest over democracy concerns today

Ghana's main opposition party, the New Patriotic Party (NPP), is holding a nationwide demonstration on Thursday, accusing the government of actions it says threaten the country's democratic institutions.

The protest, branded "Democracy Under Attack", is due to begin at the Supreme Court in Accra before ending at the Jubilee House, the seat of government. Similar demonstrations are expected in other parts of the country.

The NPP says the march is intended to highlight what it describes as growing restrictions on free expression, the treatment of opposition supporters and concerns about the independence of state institutions.

The party has also cited what it calls the arrest and detention of opposition figures, social media users and journalists, as well as concerns over bail conditions and the relationship between the Executive and the Judiciary.

Dennis Miracles Aboagye, a member of the NPP's communications team and spokesperson for former Vice-President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, said the protest was aimed at defending democratic values.

"There is always the temptation by people in power to suppress the voices and rights of the people," he wrote in a social media post, adding that "you can never suppress the will of the people."

He also called for what he described as the equal application of the law, warning against selective justice.

The governing administration has rejected the allegations, insisting that Ghana's democratic institutions remain independent and that law enforcement agencies act within the law.

Officials say investigations and prosecutions are conducted through due process and deny claims that political opponents are being targeted.

The demonstration comes amid heightened political tensions as the opposition seeks to increase pressure on the government over its handling of governance and civil liberties.