Akuapem North Member of Parliament and former National Organiser of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Sammi Awuku, has criticised the one-year prison sentence imposed on TikTok content creator Camilla Alhassan, declaring that the opposition party will pursue every legal avenue available to secure her release.

His comments come barely hours after an Accra Circuit Court sentenced the 43-year-old social media influencer to 12 months imprisonment after she pleaded guilty to charges of offensive conduct and publication of false news over videos she made about President John Dramani Mahama.

The case has since sparked political debate, with the NPP alleging that the government is using state institutions to silence critics and opposition voices, while the prosecution maintains that the conviction was based on the accused person’s own guilty plea before the court.

Speaking during a live session on TikTok, Sammi Awuku described the conviction as politically troubling, arguing that the imprisonment of Camilla Alhassan sends the wrong signal about freedom of expression and political participation.

According to him, the NPP believes the government is targeting individuals perceived to be sympathetic to the opposition as part of a broader effort to suppress dissenting voices.

He explained that Camilla Alhassan was being punished because she openly expressed views that were supportive of the NPP, insisting that the party would employ every lawful and constitutional means to challenge the outcome of the case and seek her freedom.

“We will use every legal means available to ensure she regains her freedom,” Sammi Awuku stated during the online broadcast.

The Akuapem North legislator further argued that the statements for which the TikToker was convicted did not originate from her but were merely repetitions of comments previously made by a pastor.

He questioned whether repeating remarks already circulating in the public domain should attract a custodial sentence, maintaining that the punishment was excessive.

Sammi Awuku urged members and supporters of the New Patriotic Party to remain united and have confidence in the party’s leadership despite what he described as increasing political pressure.

He also accused the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) of attempting to suppress some of the loudest voices within the opposition after, according to him, campaign narratives that helped the party win the 2024 general election had begun to unravel.

The comments follow Thursday’s conviction of Camilla Alhassan by an Accra Circuit Court.

According to the facts presented before the court, the TikTok content creator published several videos between June 30 and July 5, 2026, alleging that President John Dramani Mahama had sacrificed 32 cows to secure political power.

She also claimed that the government’s distribution of sanitary pads to victims affected by the June 29 floods was intended to conceal the alleged sacrifices.

The prosecution charged her with offensive conduct and publication of false news, arguing that the statements were false and capable of misleading the public.

During the trial, Camilla Alhassan pleaded guilty to the charges. The court subsequently convicted her and sentenced her to one year imprisonment.

However, the court struck out an additional charge of electronic abuse after ruling that it lacked jurisdiction to determine that particular offence.

Following the judgment, defence lawyer Kwadwo Gyamfi Bonsu explained that although the defence pleaded for a more lenient sentence, the court considered the increasing prevalence of false and offensive publications on social media and concluded that a custodial sentence was necessary to serve as a deterrent.