{
  "id": 8430208,
  "title": "If it was wrong under NPP, it cannot be right under NDC – Barker-Vormawor",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/19/if-it-was-wrong-under-npp-it-cannot-be-right-under-ndc-barker-vormawor",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-19T09:10:42.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "MyJoyOnline Ghana",
    "slug": "myjoyonline-ghana",
    "url": "https://www.myjoyonline.com/if-it-was-wrong-under-npp-it-cannot-be-right-under-ndc-barker-vormawor/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Legal practitioner and activist Oliver Barker-Vormawor has voiced concerns over the inconsistent application of police powers under different governments. In response to the recent Ghana Jollof case, Barker-Vormawor argued that actions deemed wrong during the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration should not now be considered acceptable under the current National Democratic Congress (NDC) government. Speaking on JoyNews' Newsfile, Barker-Vormawor emphasized that his experiences under the NPP administration should not be used to justify similar behavior now that political power has shifted. He stressed that the standard for assessing state power should remain consistent regardless of which political party is in control.\n\nThe case revolves around the arrest and prosecution of social media commentator Salomey Ghana Jollof. Barker-Vormawor rejected claims that his criticism of the state's response to her online commentary was an endorsement of her statements, clarifying that while he found some of the content offensive, it did not automatically make it criminal. He pointed out that the central issue was whether law enforcement was applying the appropriate threshold when determining whether controversial speech should result in criminal sanctions.\n\nBarker-Vormawor acknowledged that certain material attributed to Jollof, such as an audio recording claiming a coup was happening, could meet the criteria for the law on false news, but distinguished this from other instances of insulting political figures, which he believed did not meet the necessary threshold. He also questioned the police's handling of the case, particularly the issuance of a wanted notice for Jollof, which he felt was unjustified given her known location in the United Kingdom.\n\nDespite his criticisms, Barker-Vormawor stressed that his position did not imply the police should not investigate alleged offences committed through social media. Instead, he advocated for maintaining a consistent standard for the exercise of state power while clearly distinguishing between criminal conduct and merely offensive or displeasing speech. He urged for a conversation on this topic, emphasizing that such discussions should not encourage reckless conduct in society.",
  "summary": "Legal practitioner and activist Oliver Barker-Vormawor has criticised what he describes as the inconsistent application of police powers under successive governments. He argued that conduct considered wrong under the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration should not become acceptable under the current National Democratic Congress (NDC) government. Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile, on the…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}