Ghana’s democracy has matured beyond the era when political competition was settled with violence. Today, ballots, not bullets, decide who governs.

That is real progress. But another kind of weapon has become common in our public life: insults, defamation, and deliberate lies.

Every politician condemns “insulting politics” when it is directed at them or their party. Yet many fall silent when the same tactics are used against their opponents. That is the cycle keeping Ghana stuck.

The Ghana our children inherit will be shaped by the tone we set today. Right now, we are teaching them that the way to win is to insult, lie, and destroy reputations. That is not democracy. That is mob behaviour with a microphone.

The 1992 Constitution guarantees freedom of speech. It does not grant a licence to defame, spread falsehoods, or reduce public life to vulgar attacks. Yet that is exactly what our political discourse is becoming.

From radio call-in shows to parliamentary debates, from social media timelines to party rallies, the default mode of political communication is increasingly personal attack, name-calling, and the deliberate demeaning of opponents.

The effect is not harmless banter. It is eroding the quality of public discourse, discouraging capable citizens from entering politics, and shifting attention away from the issues that will determine whether Ghana develops or stagnates. The line between criticizing policy and attacking people has collapsed.

How We Got Here

The politics of insult thrives on three conditions: a media environment that rewards outrage with attention; a political culture where loyalty is measured by how aggressively one defends or attacks; and a public that has grown cynical enough to expect little else.

When insults generate clicks and airtime, politicians and commentators have little incentive to change course. The cycle repeats, and each round lowers the bar further.

We are all guilty. All political parties are guilty. However, the two dominant parties, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP), bear a particularly large share of responsibility.

For years, senior figures in both parties have used public platforms to attack opponents personally and circulate unverified claims.

Because these two parties dominate Ghana’s political space, their tone sets the standard for everyone else. That shared responsibility means the obligation to change also rests with both parties.

Neither can credibly call for civility while allowing its own communicators to engage in the same behaviour.

The shift will only happen if party leaders enforce discipline, set clear standards for public communication, and hold members accountable when they cross the line from criticism to abuse.

A call to stop the politics of insult is not a call to stop criticism. Democracies need robust scrutiny of policy, performance, and conduct. The line is between attacking ideas and attacking people, and between alleging facts and inventing them.

How We Change Course

First, leadership by example. NDC and NPP leaders must set the tone and discipline members who use demeaning language or spread falsehoods in public. Without consequences inside the party, public condemnations ring hollow.

Second, media and institutional responsibility. Editors and producers should stop rewarding insults with airtime. Moderators must enforce clear rules of engagement and cut off defamatory remarks. Claims should be verified before they go on air, not after the damage is done.

Institutions like the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) should play a vital role in educating the public on peaceful political participation and discouraging the youth from normalizing toxic political rhetoric.

Third, citizen demand and legal recourse. Voters can change the narrative by supporting candidates who focus on policy and by refusing to share insulting content online.

Where lies are told, those affected should use the legal avenues available under Ghana’s laws without fear or delay.

Ghana’s challenges are too serious for politics to be reduced to insults and lies. Unemployment, inflation, healthcare access, and education demand focused, evidence-based debate. Both the NDC and NPP have the power and responsibility to lead that shift.

Freedom of speech must protect open debate, not shield abuse. If we want a politics of ideas and competence, our parties must choose it now. Ghana cannot afford to wait.

The good news is that change is possible, starting with the words we choose today. Together, we can build a more respectful, thoughtful political culture that our children will be proud to inherit.