Boakye Agyarko has shed light on the mechanics of political misinformation, explaining how false narratives can stick with devastating effect, even when they are easily disprovable.
Speaking on Metro TV’s Good Evening Ghana, he told host Paul Adom-Otchere that political propaganda operates on the principle that perception often outweighs truth.
“Opposition research will always tell you that don’t put propaganda out that can easily be explained. That is why Goebbels and Hitler said, the bigger the lie, the better,” he remarked.
He illustrated the phenomenon with a striking metaphor.
“There’s a Jewish saying that if you’re accused that your sister is a prostitute, it doesn’t matter that you don’t even have a sister. Your sister is still a prostitute,” he said, to laughter from the studio. “It’s part of it. It’s not a good part of it because it doesn’t help citizens.”
For Agyarko, this dynamic played out during Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia’s 2022 campaign, when allegations of family agenda and hidden motives circulated widely.
“It gave the candidate’s personality a very difficult sort of thing,” he said. “Those things are part of the political terrain. Some may work, some may not.”
He recalled similar strategies in the 2008 election, when allegations of foreign bank accounts were aimed at NPP leaders.
“Because it’s a technical area where most people can’t understand, right? It works against you,” he explained, emphasizing how complex fabrications can be strategically chosen to make rebuttals harder.
According to Agyarko, the most effective defense is swift, strategic communication. “Bill Clinton, you say something today, within one hour, they are responding.
“They don’t allow it to fester,” he observed, pointing out the need for candidates to inoculate themselves or counter lies immediately.
While acknowledging propaganda’s central role, Agyarko lamented its corrosive effect on political morality.
“This is a devious way to power. I believe that the essence of power must have a higher moral end to serve the needs of citizens,” he said.
