Lawyer Paul Twum-Barimah urges leadership anchored on national unity over partisan conflict
Lawyer and former Member of Parliament for Dormaa East, Paul Twum-Barimah, has called for a reset in Ghana’s political culture, urging leaders to prioritise national unity and dignity over entrenched partisan confrontation.
In a Facebook post on Sunday, 5th April 2026, reflecting on events during the Easter festivities in Kwahu, Mr. Twum-Barimah recounted a symbolic moment on Holy Saturday. He noted that “whiles former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was in Kwahu where for almost two decades former President Akufo-Addo have consecutively visited during the sacred period of Easter,” he also paid a visit to the President of the Republic, H. E. John Dramani Mahama, who was likewise in Kwahu.
According to him, such moments offer an opportunity for reflection on leadership and the direction of national politics. “One is reminded that leadership is not about perpetual confrontation, but about the dignity of nationhood,” he stated.
He cautioned that the strength of Ghana’s democracy depends on truth and responsible political engagement, adding that “the ruin of a nation begins in the homes of its own people,” and warning that “when politics is built on distortion rather than truth, democracy itself is weakened.”
Mr. Twum-Barimah described the encounter as emblematic of “a rare sense of statesmanship one that contrasts sharply with the kind of politics that thrives on propaganda, exaggeration, and selective narratives.” He stressed the importance of honesty in public life, invoking the words of Nelson Mandela that “a critical, independent and investigative press is the lifeblood of any democracy,” and adding that “so too must honesty be the lifeblood of political engagement.”
The former legislator also took aim at sections of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), stating that “for too long, sections of the NDC party have chosen the easier path mobilizing sentiment through fear, misinformation, and half-truths rather than presenting coherent, credible alternatives.” He emphasised that “returning to power must not be built on rewriting facts or misleading the very people one seeks to lead.”
On the broader democratic process, he maintained that “democracy flourishes not when power is pursued at all costs, but when it is earned through trust.” Citing former U.S. President Abraham Lincoln, he added: “You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.”
He further urged political actors to elevate the standard of public discourse, stressing that “Ghana deserves a higher standard of politics one grounded in truth, responsibility, and respect for the intelligence of its citizens,” warning that “anything less is not opposition; it is opportunism.”
