Minority Chief Whip Frank Annoh-Dompreh has said he is “ready” to face the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB), formerly Bureau of National Investigations (BNI), on allegations that he has incited members of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), to violence.
The Nsawam-Adoagyiri MP insists his comments urging party supporters to “defend themselves” do not amount to an incitement.
Speaking in an interview on Bullet TV’s Morning Target co-hosted by Nana Yaw Fianko and Seli Acolatse Apaloo on Monday, 10 February 2025, Mr Annoh-Dompreh accused the police authorities of failing to protect his party members from attacks.
“They say they want to take me to court that I have instigated people to violence, I’m ready,” insisting, “I have not.”
According to him, his call on NPP supporters to team up with their colleagues to beat members of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) in any fight “Was necessary,” because “we can’t sit down for our base to be destroyed.”
His remarks come amid rising political tensions following the recent developments surrounding the Ablekuma North parliamentary results – the only one outstanding since the 7 December 2024 general elections.
He wonders why the media and everybody else only hear and see the alleged incitement by the NPP and not those of the NDC.
For instance, he claimed that after Dr Mahamudu Bawumia conceded defeat in the 2024 elections, NDC supporters mounted unauthorised roadblocks and attacked NPP members.
“They stop the car and hooligans ask everybody to get out. If they find you wearing an NPP t-shirt, they pull you aside and beat you up, and people are in this country and say they didn’t see anything,” he alleged.
The MP further accused the police of failing to maintain law and order, citing an alleged attack on a police station in the Ashanti Region.
“If the police itself cannot defend itself – the police are being attacked – then what happens to civilians? We must rise up and also defend ourselves.”
His comments have sparked widespread condemnation, with critics accusing him of inciting violence.
However, Mr Annoh-Dompreh pushed back against these claims, repeating: “I said if you go and find an NDC member attacking an NPP member, help the NPP member to beat up the NDC member. The law permits self-defence.”
Although he acknowledged to Nana Yaw Fianko that resorting to the law should be the first port of call, the MP, however, noted that even the police, who must enforce the law, “cannot even protect itself,” let alone civilians.
“In some part of the Ashanti Region, I’m told the NDC hooligans have gone to attack a whole police station. They’ve burnt a police vehicle. We are in this country and what is more of an instigation of violence than that? If the police cannot defend itself, the police are being attacked, then what happens to civilians? We must rise up and also defend ourselves. Corporate entity Ghana, the citizenry and you – we must all be worried if the police cannot defend itself, cannot offer security because a political party has won power, everybody should go to sleep and law and order should be broken down then it’s a matter of concern.”
Despite the backlash, Mr Annoh-Dompreh remains defiant, claiming opposition figures have also made threats of violence without facing consequences.
“Norgbey, an MP, said he was going to beat up NPP MPs. It’s on record. Bedzrah said, ‘We are going to beat them up.’ Nobody saw anything wrong with that. We say our people should defend themselves, stand up for their rights, be strong, defend your party and you say I’ve done what? I’m waiting for the BNI.”
