Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has accused the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) of applying double standards to issues of accountability, insisting that the party must be prepared to face the same level of scrutiny it demanded of the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration.
He argued that criticism of government decisions was a legitimate feature of democratic governance and should not be portrayed as political hostility simply because the NDC was now in power.
In a Facebook post on Friday, October 30, the Effutu MP questioned what he described as a shift in the party’s attitude towards public scrutiny, recalling how the NDC spent eight years in opposition challenging the policies, appointments, contracts and expenditure of the Akufo-Addo administration.
“The NDC spent eight years teaching Ghanaians that questioning government was patriotism. Today, the same people appear offended that Ghanaians have taken those lessons seriously,” he wrote.
Mr Afenyo-Markin said the NDC had consistently maintained while in opposition that no government should be above scrutiny and that public officials must be held accountable for their decisions.
He questioned whether those principles had changed following the party’s return to power.
“So what has changed? Have the standards of accountability changed because the political party in power has changed? Or was scrutiny only acceptable when it was directed at the NPP?” he asked.
Criticism is not persecution
The Minority Leader accused some members of the governing party of responding to criticism by questioning the motives of those raising concerns instead of addressing the substantive issues.
He maintained that the NDC’s previous public statements, interviews and press conferences remained available for Ghanaians to assess its position on accountability during its years in opposition.
“It is unreasonable to champion accountability for eight years and then treat it as an act of hostility when the same principle is applied to you,” he said.
Mr Afenyo-Markin stressed that questioning government contracts, demanding transparency and scrutinising public expenditure were not personal attacks on public officials but essential responsibilities in a functioning democracy.
“Public office is not a personal possession; it is a public trust. Holding office does not grant anyone immunity from criticism. Questioning a contract is not a personal attack on the person who approved it. Demanding transparency is not an expression of hatred. Asking government to honour its promises is not an attempt to undermine it. It is simply democracy at work,” he stated.
Minority vows to sustain scrutiny
Mr Afenyo-Markin assured that the Minority would continue to examine government documents, scrutinise contracts and question public expenditure irrespective of the political party in power.
He said the opposition’s responsibility went beyond opposing government policies, stressing that it also had a duty to ensure public officials accounted for their decisions and that government promises were measured against actual performance.
“The Mighty Minority will continue to read the documents, examine the contracts, question public expenditure, and measure government promises against actual performance. Not because we are opposing the NDC for opposing sake, but because accountability must never depend on who occupies the Presidency,” he wrote.
He further argued that the NDC could not demand one standard of accountability from the NPP while in opposition and expect a different standard now that it controlled the government.
“If members of the NDC were right to demand accountability from the Akufo-Addo government, then they must be prepared to accept it now that they are in office,” he said.
The Minority Leader concluded by reaffirming the opposition’s commitment to holding the government accountable, insisting that the standards the NDC championed while in opposition must equally apply to it in office.
“The standard members of the NDC demanded when they were in opposition should be the same standard they must live by, and we, the Mighty Minority, will not renege!!” he added.
