Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has appealed to Ghana’s political class to abandon what he describes as the entrenched culture of political retaliation and instead prioritise national development and issue-based politics.

Addressing supporters during the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) “Democracy Under Attack” demonstration in Accra on Thursday, August 6, Mr Afenyo-Markin argued that successive governments should not use state institutions to pursue political opponents.

He said his concerns transcend partisan interests and are rooted in the need to uphold fairness, justice and decency within Ghana’s democratic system.

According to the Minority Leader, the country’s democracy will only thrive when political leaders shift their attention from settling political scores to addressing the pressing developmental challenges confronting Ghanaians.

“As a country, we must end this vicious cycle of ‘you do me, I do you.’ All my life, I’ve believed that we can do politics in a very decent way. If you leave Accra and go deep into the hinterlands, you see that there is serious underdevelopment in our country. That should be what should occupy our minds as political leaders,” he said.

The demonstration formed part of the NPP’s nationwide campaign against what it describes as political persecution, selective justice and the misuse of state institutions under the current administration.

According to the party, the protest was intended to highlight developments it believes threaten Ghana’s democratic principles, the rule of law and the independence of key state institutions.

Among the concerns raised by the NPP is the acquittal and discharge of former Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC) Chief Executive Officer Sedina Tamakloe Attionu, which the party says raises questions about the consistency and impartiality of the country’s justice system.

The opposition party has also criticised what it describes as the arbitrary arrest, detention and alleged harassment of some of its members by state investigative and security agencies.