Kwame Baffoe loses appeal to block Samson Lardy Anyenini defamation lawsuit

The Court of Appeal in Kumasi has dismissed a legal challenge by Kwame Baffoe, the Bono Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), who sought to halt a defamation lawsuit filed against him by journalist and lawyer Samson Lardy Anyenini. In a ruling delivered on 21 October 2026, the court rejected Baffoe’s application, clearing the legal path for the substantive case to proceed. The decision marks a significant procedural setback for the politician in his efforts to avoid the trial.

The lawsuit, initiated by Mr. Anyenini, names both Kwame Baffoe, popularly known as Abronye, and Wontumi Multimedia Company Limited as defendants. The journalist is seeking legal redress for allegedly defamatory comments made against him. Baffoe had sought to halt the proceedings through the appellate court, but the panel found no merit in the attempt to stay the action brought by the high-profile legal practitioner.

A three-member panel of the Court of Appeal, presided over by Justice Eric Baah, presided over the hearing. Upon dismissing the application, the court also imposed a cost of GH₵10,000 against Baffoe. This financial penalty must be paid to the plaintiff as a result of the failed bid to stop the litigation, which has now been remitted to continue in the appropriate court.

With the dismissal of this appeal, the defamation suit is expected to move forward into the hearing phase, where the merits of Anyenini's claims will be examined. The case has attracted considerable interest due to the high profiles of both the plaintiff and the primary defendant. Both Abronye and Wontumi Multimedia are now required to mount their defense as the judicial process resumes.