Accra: Former Member of Parliament for Dormaa East, Paul Apreku Twum-Barimah, has called on the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP), particularly their young members, to stop using social media for insults, propaganda, and character assassination. He emphasized that these actions are damaging Ghana's democracy and cultural values.
According to Ghana Web, studies on Ghana's digital political communication show that online political engagement is increasingly filled with insults and hate speech. This trend is undermining respect for elders and eroding culturally grounded norms of civility. Twum-Barimah highlighted that the culture of political abuse and misinformation on digital platforms is poisoning the national conscience and weakening democratic tolerance.
In his statement, Twum-Barimah lamented that social media, expected to deepen democratic participation, has become a battlefield for political hatred and falsehoods. He warned both the NDC and NPP to take responsibility for the toxic online political atmosphere, as it could have long-term consequences for national cohesion. He stressed that the politics of insults cannot build a nation.
Twum-Barimah noted that political discourse in Ghana has deteriorated, especially on platforms like Facebook, TikTok, X, WhatsApp, and YouTube. He expressed concern that young people are growing up in an environment where vulgarity and propaganda are normalized. This trend, he said, is damaging the moral upbringing of the younger generation and undermining Ghana's democratic credentials.
He criticized the culture where political communicators provoke tensions online for popularity. Twum-Barimah pointed to instances where online propaganda nearly inflamed tensions during elections. He warned that social media recklessness could destroy Ghana's peaceful democratic reputation.
Twum-Barimah further warned that persistent political toxicity on social media discourages decent individuals from participating in national discourse. He challenged the NDC and NPP leaders to condemn supporters who engage in abusive conduct online. Political leaders, he insisted, cannot claim innocence while benefiting from propaganda machinery.
He urged political parties to focus on issue-based campaigning and called on parents, religious institutions, schools, and civil society organizations to restore discipline in political communication. Twum-Barimah emphasized that protecting Ghana's democratic culture cannot be left to politicians alone, stressing that democracy survives on respect, tolerance, and truth.