The Executive Secretary of the Chamber of Petroleum Consumers (COPEC), Duncan Amoah, has argued that investigations into politicians and public officials are a normal feature of democratic governance and should not be portrayed as an attack on Ghana’s democracy.
His comments come amid heightened political debate following the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) “Democracy Under Attack” demonstration held on August 6, 2026, where the party alleged that its members were being unfairly targeted and that democratic governance was under threat.
Speaking on The Big Issue on Saturday, August 8, Mr Amoah challenged that narrative, insisting that the work of investigative and accountability institutions should not automatically be interpreted as political persecution.
Institutions Must Be Allowed to Work
According to him, democracy depends on the ability of institutions to operate independently, even while citizens retain the right to criticise their performance.
“When you have institutions get to work, you don’t have any objection but to sometimes critique the way institutions work. But to lump everything together and say the entire democratic process is under attack, some of us would beg to differ,” he said.
Mr Amoah maintained that Ghana’s democratic system remains functional and that ongoing investigations involving former public officials do not, in themselves, demonstrate a collapse of democratic norms.
No Evidence of Opposition Being Silenced
He also argued that Ghana has not reached a point where opposition figures are targeted merely for expressing dissenting political views.
“I have not in Ghana seen or come across an opposition element being just vocal and being targeted by government,” he said.
He pointed to the country’s relatively open political environment as evidence that freedom of expression remains intact.
“Freedom of speech, which is one of the core tenets of democracy, clearly is also not being attacked as we speak. You can speak your mind,” he added.
Warning Against Threatening Political Rhetoric
While defending the right to free expression, Mr Amoah cautioned that political actors must avoid rhetoric that threatens or intimidates opponents.
He expressed concern about what he described as a growing trend of subtle threats in Ghana’s political discourse, including statements suggesting that political rivals will face retaliation when power changes hands.
“You see a threat from the opposition that says the tables will turn and will do things to you. You would hear functionaries sometimes issue those threats,” he said.
According to him, such rhetoric risks creating the perception that politicians should be shielded from investigations or adverse findings simply because they belong to a particular political party.
Accountability Should Not Depend on Political Power
Mr Amoah argued that attempts to frame investigations as partisan persecution could undermine public confidence in accountability institutions.
“What you are indirectly saying is that, okay, even if we did wrong, or even if adverse findings are made against us, do not go after us, because someday you may not be in power,” he said.
He warned that allowing accountability to become dependent on which party is in government would ultimately weaken democratic governance and harm ordinary citizens.
“If we allow this country to be governed that way, it is not the NPP-NDC that suffers, it is the people,” he said.
His remarks add another voice to the national debate over the relationship between anti-corruption investigations, political accountability and the health of Ghana’s democratic institutions.
