Lawyer and political figure Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko has thrown his support behind Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin in the escalating controversy surrounding criticism of a Circuit Court judge handling the case involving New Patriotic Party (NPP) Bono Regional Chairman Kwame Baffoe, popularly known as Abronye DC.

In a social media post on Wednesday (20 May) Otchere-Darko defended Afenyo-Markin’s criticism of the judge and framed the issue as one that extends beyond party politics and touches on broader democratic rights and freedoms.

“Leadership requires courage. Timidity can never be a leadership option,” he wrote, praising Afenyo-Markin for what he described as standing up against judicial actions that raised concerns over free expression and due process.

Otchere-Darko said the matter should not be viewed solely through a political lens involving the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the opposition NPP.

“It is mistaken to view this through the narrow prism of NPP versus NDC,” he said, arguing that the implications extended to broader questions around freedom of speech and civil liberties.

He also warned against developments that could create fear among citizens over expressing opinions publicly, particularly among younger people increasingly using social media platforms to engage in public discourse.

“Today it may be a political activist. Tomorrow it could be the journalist, the radio commentator, the student, the taxi driver, or the ordinary young Ghanaian with a smartphone and an opinion,” he said.

Otchere-Darko added that while the law should be enforced against individuals who violate it, this should not come at the expense of due process and constitutional rights.

The comments add another voice to a growing public debate surrounding the detention and legal proceedings involving Abronye DC and criticism of judicial conduct in the case.

The controversy has already drawn reactions from legal bodies, including the Ghana Bar Association, which previously criticised Afenyo-Markin’s comments against the judge and urged that concerns over judicial decisions be addressed through established legal channels.