NPP Bono Regional Chairman Abronye Seeks Asylum Over Alleged Threats

The Bono Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kwame Baffoe Abronye, popularly known as Abronye DC, has applied for political asylum in multiple foreign countries, citing what he describes as “consistent, escalating political persecution” and “systemic abuse of state security powers” under the current administration.

In a detailed letter dated September 5, 2025, and copied to several embassies, international organisations, and asylum authorities, Abronye claimed that he and his family face “imminent and grave danger” in Ghana.

According to him, his ordeal began shortly after the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government assumed office in January 2025. He alleged that he was “the first opposition politician to be invited, arrested and detained by the National Investigations Bureau (NIB)” after he criticised the dismissal of over 150,000 workers.

“During my detention, I was threatened, intimidated and sternly warned that unless I ceased criticising the government, I would face more severe reprisals,” he wrote, adding that the experience was part of “a disturbing pattern of silencing opposition voices.”

Abronye further accused the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Christian Tetteh Yohuno, of targeting opposition figures with “selective arrests” instead of addressing worsening national security concerns. He claimed to have received a threatening call from a man identifying himself only as “Mr Seth,” who allegedly ordered him to report to the Police Headquarters.

“He warned that if I failed to comply, I would be dealt with mercilessly and that I ‘wouldn’t come back to life,’” Abronye recounted. His lawyers, upon inquiry, were reportedly informed by the CID that no official complaint or investigation had been filed against him.

Grounding his appeal in international law, Abronye cited the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the 1969 OAU Refugee Convention, and the UNHCR Guidelines on International Protection.

“This application is respectfully grounded upon binding international legal instruments that recognise the well-founded fear of persecution for political opinion and prohibit refoulement,” he stated.

Copies of his petition, he noted, were submitted to the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office in Ghana, UNHCR Ghana, UNDP Ghana, and the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS).

He has also written to the embassies and high commissions of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and Côte d’Ivoire, requesting urgent humanitarian protection.

“I respectfully seek political asylum and security protection in your country. I place my trust in your respected institution to consider my case urgently and extend the necessary humanitarian assistance and protection under international conventions governing the rights of asylum seekers,” the NPP chairman appealed.

Abronye, who has also declared his intention to contest the NPP’s flagbearership ahead of the 2028 general elections, remains a controversial figure in Ghanaian politics.