Seasoned NPP stalwart Boakye Agyarko has shared a candid reflection on the role of propaganda in Ghanaian politics, stressing that no political candidate is immune from targeted misinformation.
Speaking on Good Evening Ghana with journalist Paul Adom-Otchere, Agyarko noted that political campaigns often weaponize untruths to shape public perceptions, regardless of the facts. Using Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia’s 2022 presidential candidacy as an example, he recalled how personal narratives and “family agenda” accusations complicated Bawumia’s public image.
“There was a lot heaped on Dr. Bawumia about inheriting a family agenda and a Agyapa and all of those things that may not have been true, but was heaped on him,” he explained. “It gave the candidate’s personality a very difficult sort of thing. But those things are part of the political terrain. That can happen to any candidate.”
Agyarko stressed that propaganda has long been a defining feature of political competition, pointing to Jerry John Rawlings’ resilience as a case study. “Through his military period, he had inoculated himself against a lot of the things that were going to be said against him. So it was nothing new, not news,” he said.
He described “opposition research” as a deliberate strategy within political organizations, designed to exploit opponents’ weaknesses, sometimes without regard for truth. “Opposition research basically looks at what are the weaknesses of your opponent and how can we hit him where it hurts the most. Because it’s not a religion, it is not always based on truth,” he stated.
Recalling past campaigns, he cited the NDC’s 2008 allegations that NPP leaders held vast foreign bank accounts, claims that turned out to be mathematically implausible.
“You put all the account totals together, they were three, four times bigger than the bank’s total balance sheet. Now, how is that possible?” he questioned.
To Agyarko, the lesson is clear: candidates must anticipate attacks and respond quickly. “Bill Clinton, you say something today, within one hour, they are responding. They don’t allow it to fester. They don’t allow it to even gain any traction,” he noted.
He concluded with a stark warning about the moral cost of deceitful politics. “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. But if you go through a certain Machiavellian channel to gain that power, you will sooner than later realize that that power is getting you,” he cautioned.
