Prominent lawyer and activist Timothy Selikem Donkor has launched a scathing critique of the Ghanaian government and ECOWAS for their apparent silence and inaction in the face of deepening constitutional and human rights crises in neighbouring Togo. 

Speaking on the Ho FM Morning Show with Togbe Ahorgo I, Mr Donkor expressed alarm over what he described as a "constitutional coup" in Togo, drawing parallels with previous interventions in West Africa and questioning the inconsistency of Ghana’s current leadership under President John Mahama.

He recalled how Ghana, during President Mahama's first tenure, mobilised troops as part of an ECOWAS-backed military intervention in The Gambia after then President Yahya Jammeh refused to step down following electoral defeat. He contrasted that bold action with what he called the current "ineptitude, callousness, and carefreeness" toward the ongoing crisis in Togo, where constitutional amendments bypassing referenda are being forced through without dialogue or opposition.

"This is an institutional and constitutional coup," the lawyer observed.

"All ECOWAS constitutions endorse referendum as the path to constitutional change, yet Togo is undermining that process. No condemnation. No military pressure. Not even a statement. I'm disappointed in the Mahama government."

The lawyer, also, challenged Ghana’s moral authority in ECOWAS, pointing out that article 290 of Ghana’s own 1992 Constitution upheld referendum as the democratic tool for constitutional amendments, a principle he noted was now being undermined by one of the bloc’s member states.

Mr Donkor warned of the broader implications of Ghana’s silence, especially for the Volta, Oti, and Northern regions, areas with deep historical, ethnic, and familial ties to former Togoland.

"Even if the Ghanaian government is not concerned, the people of the Volta Region, Oti, and Northern Ghana must be. These are their cousins, their people. Yet no protest, no parliamentary statement, no show of solidarity,” he lamented.

He further highlighted the economic fragility of Togo, noting a debt-to-GDP ratio of around 65%, and warned that internal strife could spill over into Ghana through border insecurity, displacement, and insurgency.

On the ground in Togo, Donkor described a harrowing situation of media censorship, arbitrary arrests, and state-sponsored violence. He said over 68 protestors were arrested last Saturday, many tortured in detention, and some journalists were forced to retract anti-government reports.

"Lomé is in lockdown. Journalists are blocked. Media houses infiltrated. People are tortured and arrested, including teenagers and mothers. What is happening in Togo is worse than what we’re seeing. They’ve banned the internet. Only a handful, through Elon Musk's Starlink, can share snippets of the horror," he revealed.

Tracing the roots of Togo’s political crisis, Donkor chronicled the decades-long dictatorship of Gnassingbé Eyadéma, who seized power in 1967 and ruled with an iron fist until his death in 2005. He detailed years of repression, torture, and mass killings under Eyadéma’s regime, stating that more than 300,000 people fled the country between 1967 and 1991.

"The era of 'Togo Informer' government spies reporting citizens who were then tortured or killed without trial is returning. The people of Togo said 'enough is enough' in 1991. But the ghosts of that dictatorship have returned," Donkor warned.

He called on Ghana’s Parliament and its MPs, especially those from regions bordering Togo, to break their silence.

"We are ready to help them draft statements. What are they afraid of?" he asked pointedly.

Lawyer Donkor made a passionate plea for Ghana to remember its democratic values and regional responsibilities.

"Diplomacy is not always about staying silent. Sometimes, even backdoor diplomacy must begin with a clear stance. Ghana must not fail Togo," he noted.