A legal practitioner and broadcast journalist, Samson Lardy Anyenini, has lashed out at politicians over what he describes as double standards in addressing misinformation and offensive speech.

According to him, politicians cannot encourage abusive language during electioneering campaigns and later express surprise when the insults and misinformation are directed at them.

Speaking on his show, News File on Joy News, monitored by GhanaWeb on July 25, 2026, he argued that the solution to offensive speech lies in civil remedies, robust public discourse and social media scrutiny rather than criminal prosecution.

“What is truly bewildering, however, is the sudden shock expressed by politicians, especially President Mahama and the NDC, over this growing trend,” he said.

Lardy Ayeninin questioned why the NDC and its leadership are expressing outrage over misinformation and insults, arguing that they were among the biggest beneficiaries of the political communication style witnessed during the last two election campaigns.

“The NDC and the leadership of the current government were without doubt the biggest beneficiaries of the misinformation and insult fest that characterised the last two election campaigns,” Anyenini stated.

He accused political parties of failing to publicly condemn their supporters and social media activists who attacked opponents, including prominent NPP figures and traditional leaders.

“Never once did they express revolt or publicly rebuke their social media callers and activists who insulted, vilified and maligned almost every prominent politician in the NPP, as well as respected traditional chiefs and elders across this country,” he said.

Anyenini warned that political actors must take responsibility for the environment they create, stressing that inflammatory rhetoric eventually affects all sides.

“You cannot nurture a monster for political expediency during elections and then feign horror when it begins to bite everyone around you,” he said.

Anyenini also made reference to the intervention by former Vice President and New Patriotic Party flagbearer Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, who called on the Ghana Police Service and the Attorney General to discontinue the prosecution of an NDC organiser who was arrested over alleged false publications and offensive comments against him.

Dr Bawumia said he did not lodge a complaint against the individual and had not sanctioned any prosecution.

According to Anyenini, the former vice president's position reflects the belief that public debate remains the best response to offensive speech.

“The answer to offensive speech is better speech and the answer to falsehood is truth, not handcuffs, courtrooms and crushing bail conditions,” he said.

The broadcast journalist acknowledged criticisms against Dr Bawumia, with some questioning why he did not adopt a similar stance when similar prosecutions occurred during the previous administration.

“While that criticism is understandable from a historical perspective, the hypocrisy of NDC critics claiming these current prosecutions are in the name of the republic and therefore beyond political intervention is glaring,” he argued.

He said critics had overlooked previous instances where political leaders intervened in cases involving comments directed at them.

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He therefore urged politicians across the political divide to reflect on the consequences of promoting inflammatory rhetoric during election periods.

“It is my prayer that politicians across the spectrum finally digest this painful lesson," Anyenini added.

His comments following the prosecution of individuals accused of publishing false news and making offensive comments against political figures.

See the video below:

Samson's Take: The abuse of free speech, political hypocrisy and the limits of freedom. #Newsfile pic.twitter.com/eRRKyXjVjw

— JoyNews (@JoyNewsOnTV) July 25, 2026