Former President John Dramani Mahama has been pictured at the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) headquarters over the detainment of the Deputy General Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Koku Anyidoho.

Mr. Mahama who returned from Sierra Leone where he acted as an Election observer, moved to the police CID in an attempt to intervene for the release of Mr Anyidoho who had already spent more than 24 hours in the custody of the Bureau of National Investigations was seen with Julius Debrah, who served as his Chief of Staff, at the CID headquarters.

The NDC firebrand is facing charges of treason for threatening the government with a “civilian revolt” that will lead to the overthrow of the Akufo-Addo government.

“On January 13, 1972, a certain Col. Ignatius Kutu Acheampong led a movement that removed the Progress Party from power. Busia was the Prime Minister and Akufo-Addo’s father was a ceremonial president. Somebody should tell Nana Akufo-Addo that history has a very interesting way of repeating itself. There’ll be a civil revolt,” Mr Anyidoho said in an interview on an Accra radio station, Happy Fm.


Earlier on Wednesday, Mr. Mahama criticised the Police for what he described as their ‘high-handed’ responses to “innocent” Ghanaians who massed up at the Police Headquarters on Tuesday night in solidarity with Koku Anyidoho.

In a Facebook post, the former President chided the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) and President Akufo-Addo for the manner in which Mr. Anyidoho was arrested and later charged with treason.

He, however, did not make mention of the comments made by Mr. Anyidoho which have been widely condemned and considered treasonable.

“As a party that prides itself in the non-criminalization of speech, with a self-acclaimed human rights activist as President, the arrest of K. Anyidoho with armed men in the middle of a press event is obviously disproportionate. Moreso, the high-handed police response to innocent citizens waiting at the CID HQ is condemnable.”

More photos below;