Former Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Samuel Koku Anyidoho, has suggested that President John Dramani Mahama must take some responsibility for the political insults and abusive commentary that have engulfed the country.

The Founder and President of the Atta Mills Institute made the comments while speaking on Kessben Maakye in Accra on September 28, 2026, where he questioned whether political actors were doing enough to address abusive conduct associated with their political interests.

“We cannot just sit down and condemn the wider phenomenon. Political actors must confront the individuals within their own circles who engage in abusive commentary,” Anyidoho said.

He specifically cited US-based commentator Kevin Taylor, describing him as a major figure in what he called a new trajectory of political commentary.

Anyidoho also challenged the distinction between individuals who openly identify themselves when making insulting comments and those who operate anonymously on social media.

“What is the difference between somebody who shows his face and insults people and somebody who hides behind social media and does the same thing?” he asked.

He further questioned President John Dramani Mahama’s recent call for stakeholders to come together to address hate speech.

According to Anyidoho, the country has tolerated Kevin Taylor’s alleged insults for a long time without taking similar action. He questioned why the issue had become a concern only when the government was coming under pressure.

He referenced an alleged comment by Kevin Taylor about former President John Agyekum Kufuor, in which Taylor reportedly described him as lazy and linked the description to his use of a wheelchair.

“When you hear Kevin Taylor insult the former President, saying that he is lazy, that is why he is sitting in that wheelchair, President Mahama didn’t hear that one? He has been insulting Catholic bishops and almost everyone, but he was quiet,” Anyidoho said.

He pressed the point further, questioning why anonymity should make a difference when the conduct remains the same.

“Why should we make a distinction between somebody who shows his face and somebody who is anonymous when both are engaging in the same kind of abusive commentary?” Anyidoho asked.

His comments follow President John Dramani Mahama’s recent remarks on Kevin Taylor, in which the President said he had never met or spoken with the US-based commentator.

Mahama indicated that he would raise concerns about Taylor’s alleged insults through Taylor’s father, whom the President said he knows.

Anyidoho argued that political actors should not limit their response to public condemnation when individuals associated with their political environment engage in abusive commentary.

He said those who benefit politically from individuals who attack and malign others must also accept responsibility for the consequences.

“If you can hire people to insult and malign others for your gain, then you must be ready for the repercussions,” he stated.

AM

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