Minority Leader and Member of Parliament for Effutu, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has urged President John Dramani Mahama to break what he described as Ghana's longstanding cycle of political retaliation, saying that such a move would define the president's legacy.

Speaking on Joy FM's Super Morning Show on Friday, July 17, 2026, Afenyo-Markin said President Mahama has a unique opportunity to end the "you do me, I do you" approach that has characterised transitions between successive governments.

"I think that Mr President would leave a good legacy if he's able to end this vicious cycle of 'you do me, I do you'," he said.

Afenyo-Markin acknowledged that both the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) have contributed to what he described as political witch-hunts, insisting that the time had come for the practice to stop.

"I concede that we, the two political parties, have not done enough to stop this idea of political witch-hunt. I concede, but there must be an end somewhere," he said.

To support his argument, Afenyo-Markin recounted intervening in 2017 to secure the release of a former Mahama administration appointee who had been detained, despite being a member of the then-governing NPP.

He said he personally drove from Winneba to Accra to appeal to police officers and later met the then Chief of Staff late at night to ensure the former official was released without being subjected to what he considered unfair conditions.

According to him, he undertook similar interventions for several others and worked with leading figures within the NPP, including former Energy Minister Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh (NAPO), to prevent what he described as excesses against political opponents.

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While admitting that some excesses still occurred under the Akufo-Addo administration, Afenyo-Markin said the NDC should not repeat the same mistakes simply because some of its members still harbour grievances.

"The NDC getting this opportunity, it is true that some of them are bitter as a result of certain excesses during the Akufo-Addo administration. I concede. But we are a country, we are a democracy. Can't we... end this?" he quizzed.

He said ending politically motivated actions against opponents would also make it easier for moderate politicians across the political divide to uphold the same standard in future administrations.

Afenyo-Markin expressed confidence that if former Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia becomes President in 2029, such a precedent would strengthen calls against political persecution.

"Mr President has a golden opportunity to leave us with a legacy. A legacy that would say no to the vicious cycle of 'you do me, I do you'. I will celebrate him if he's able to achieve that. That is the only demand I would want to make of him," he said.

He, however, maintained that individuals found to have engaged in wrongdoing should still be investigated and prosecuted, but said the process must be conducted fairly and humanely.

"If the person is involved in any wrongdoing, pursue him, but with a human face. Let the law be there for everybody," he noted.

MRA/VPO

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