Accra: Mr George Sarpong, Executive Secretary of the National Media Commission (NMC), has cautioned political parties against becoming unwitting tools for foreign actors seeking to manipulate Ghana's information environment. He highlighted the emerging threat of foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI), which exploits genuine information to create divisions and weaken social cohesion.
According to Ghana News Agency, Mr Sarpong issued this caution at an inter-party dialogue organized by the National Peace Council (NPC), in association with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Catholic Relief Services, under the Political Party Trust Building Programme. He explained that FIMI works by selecting truthful but potentially explosive information, removing it from context, and amplifying it through algorithms to make it viral. "FIMI works with truthful material. Everything that FIMI uses is truthful. But what it does is to select materials that are explosive, can harm society, put them out of context, and support them on algorithmic push," he elaborated.
Mr Sarpong further warned that political parties are particularly vulnerable as their leaders and communicators could be used to deepen existing divisions between competing political groups. He noted that FIMI targets institutions that serve as pillars of national and social stability, including the NPC, religious leaders, and traditional authorities. "Political parties, you are the key vector that FIMI uses to destroy society," he cautioned.
He urged political parties to be aware that attacks and provocations between them could be exploited by third parties aiming to destabilize the country. The exploration of domestic vulnerabilities, polarization, distrust, and attacks on institutions are among the methods foreign interest groups use to interfere in societies. Mr Sarpong also warned against the exploitation of nationalism, particularly among young people, through online narratives that glorify unconstitutional changes of government.
Mr Sarpong emphasized the need for political parties to collaborate in protecting Ghana's democratic system rather than viewing every political contest as a battle between opposing parties. "We all need to work together to protect the state from FIMI implications," he stated. He suggested that parties could help reduce FIMI by establishing clear communication standards and codes to guide their members and supporters.
He also called on party leaders to identify potential risks of misinformation and manipulation, develop mitigation strategies, and take responsibility for their surrogates and communicators. "Please, take responsibility for this subject. Learn to devise core messages on key public policy issues. It is not everything you have to speak on if your party doesn't have a central idea on it," he advised.
Mr Sarpong stressed that political parties must stop rewarding communicators who rely on inflammatory and provocative language to gain attention, as this encourages young people to adopt extreme forms of political communication in hopes of gaining recognition or positions when their parties gain power. He advocated for discipline and progression systems within political parties to provide members with clear pathways to leadership, rather than encouraging provocative public behavior to attract attention.
He proposed the establishment of a Ghana Media Observatory involving experts, the NPC, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and political parties to monitor potentially harmful political communication. The proposed mechanism could provide advice on dangerous content and help political actors de-escalate tensions before they become major national issues.
Most Rev. Emmanuel Kofi Fianu, Chairman of the NPC, noted that the dialogue was part of the Council's quarterly engagements with political parties. He mentioned that the previous dialogue held on February 23, 2026, discussed vote buying, monetization of elections, and proposals for campaign spending limits for individuals and political parties. The current dialogue focused on media excesses, inflammatory political discourse, and strengthening inter-party dialogue and security to sustain Ghana's democracy and peace.
He urged political parties and citizens to critically examine political statements and media content that inflame tensions and find ways to tone down political language. "The fruits of our dialogue should be seen in the reviews and decisions of the various political parties," he remarked. The program brought together representatives of political parties and other stakeholders to deliberate on building trust, promoting responsible political communication, and strengthening Ghana's democratic processes.