Threatening to Kill the President and His Children is Criminality, Not Free Speech – Kwakye Ofosu

Minister of State in charge of Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, has described threats to kill President John Dramani Mahama and his children as “brazen criminality,” insisting that such conduct must not be defended in the name of free expression.

Speaking on behalf of the President at the 30th Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) Media Awards in Accra on Saturday, November 7, 2026, Mr Kwakye Ofosu urged political leaders not to support threats and incitement to violence for partisan advantage .

“For instance, threatening to kill a president and his children is not free speech. It is brazen criminality. We, as political leaders, must not lend support to this level of criminality only because it enures to the benefits of our political fortunes,” he said .

The Minister said political leaders must demonstrate consistency in their defence of free speech, particularly when journalists face threats for publishing critical or uncomfortable reports .

“Our words in support of free speech must not ring hollow, especially when in the north, in the past, journalists had to flee our country for fear of their lives because they published uncomfortable truths,” he stated .

Distinguishing Dissent from Incitement

Mr Kwakye Ofosu stressed that efforts to combat hate speech should not become a justification for restricting dissent, critical journalism or unpopular opinions. He said democracy depended on the freedom to disagree, but should not accommodate deliberate incitement of hatred, violence and intolerance .

“Democracy thrives on disagreement, and what it cannot accommodate is the deliberate incitement of hatred, violence, and intolerance. A clear distinction must be struck between criminal conduct and the expression of free speech,” he said .

The Minister’s remarks echo a position he articulated in October at the launch of the awards, when he said the right to free speech should not be used to justify criminal threats against public officials and their families. “Even if you don’t like a President, it is fine. We have had most politicians. But if you say that you are going to poison the President and the children and his wife, there is no reason in this world that we would tolerate it,” he said at the time .

He had also stressed the need to distinguish between speech that may be offensive and conduct that amounts to a criminal threat. “We need to be able to establish that distinction between free speech and criminal minds. There are times when people may be unpleasant, but they are not necessarily criminal” .

Background: A Recurring Threat

The Minister’s intervention comes against the backdrop of repeated threats against President Mahama and his family on social media. In May 2026, the Inspector-General of Police’s Cyber Vetting and Enforcement Team arrested a suspect, Mahama Aminat, also known as Akosua Serwaa Minat, over videos posted on TikTok that allegedly contained insulting remarks about the President and threats to his life and that of his wife, Lordina Mahama . She was subsequently granted bail of GH¢1 million with two sureties .

Earlier, in 2025, two suspects were arrested in connection with a viral TikTok video in which an individual allegedly threatened to kill President Mahama before the end of that year and behead the First Lady .

The most serious known threat against President Mahama occurred in July 2015, when a 36-year-old man, Charles Antwi, was arrested at a church in Accra armed with a pistol, allegedly intending to assassinate the then President during a Sunday service .

The Awards Ceremony

The 30th GJA Media Awards were held under the theme, “Celebrating Excellence, Advancing Media Freedom and Combating Hate Speech in the Digital Age” . The event, held at the Palms Convention Centre of the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel in Accra, brought together journalists, media organisations and other stakeholders to recognise excellence in journalism and discuss issues affecting media freedom .

The theme reflects growing concerns about the misuse of digital platforms to spread hate speech and incitement, even as the GJA continues to advocate for media freedom and the protection of journalists. Mr Kwakye Ofosu’s remarks sought to draw a line between the two: protecting legitimate expression while insisting that criminal threats—whether against journalists or public officials—fall outside the bounds of free speech.