In Ghana, one the of the most discussed topics these days is the “Do or die” comment of the former president John Dramani Mahama about the next General elections in the west African country.
Many Ghanaian politicians, especially members of the ruling party, New Patriotic Party (NPP) are criticizing the former president John Dramani Mahama and asking him to retract his comment made on the next elections.
“The 2020 elections were rigged for the NPP. We have however accepted the ruling of the Supreme Court for the sake of peace. However, come 2024, the NDC will be extra vigilant at the polling stations because that is where the elections are won”, said John Mahama while answering questions in an interview on Akina Radio in Techiman in the Bono East region, as part of his tour to thank Ghanaians for their votes and support during the 2020 elections.
“So at the polling station [in the next election], it will be ‘do or die’. I am not saying ‘all die be die’. I’m saying it will be ‘do or die’ because the right thing must be done,” he added.
Various Reactions
“NPP Deputy General Secretary, Nana Obiri Boahen finds Mr Mahama’s comment unfortunate, but he believes the NDC cannot bully the NPP to win elections at the polling stations in 2024. However, the 2020 NDC Presidential candidate has refused to retract the statement”, reports Joynews.
” The National Democratic Congress (NDC) says it is unfazed by criticisms of the ‘do or die’ comment made by its 2020 presidential candidate, John Dramani Mahama. It says, despite the huge pressure on the former president to retract his comment, the remark is without malice.
There has been widespread controversy following the pronouncement by John Mahama after he said that the NDC will be more vigilant during the 2024 general elections.
Mr. Mahama subsequently justified the comment, explaining that it is an idiomatic expression, hence he will not retract or apologize”, reported Citifmonline this morning.
Indeed, the General Secretary of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah on Eyewitness News sided with Mr. Mahama.
“What has Mahama done wrong? I think people want to disrupt us from the good things we are doing. When we say ‘do or die’ assignment, it means you must use all your energies to do something, I don’t see how this is problematic unless for those who do not understand or fail to understand the obvious. He was communicating in English language. And in the English language, there are idiomatic expressions. Whoever does not understand it, may look it up in the dictionary. It is the Queen’s language.” said Asiedu Nketiah quoted by Ghanaian magazines.
“We don’t think this should be something people should be worried about at all. So if no one is interested in destroying the results, why should that statement scare anybody? I don’t see why people should make a fuss about this thing at all. I am so surprised about this hypocrisy. People are trying to make mountain out of a molehill. If someone has issues with this, he should go and blame his English teacher, he should not be worrying us”, Mr Asiedu insisted.
Early this Thursday 09 septembre 2021, TV3’s Tiplapia Da cartoonist came out with its design showing the former president teaching some of his critics English.
Known for his opposition in recent years to the “bad governance” of the ruling NPP party, Kwame A plus has chosen to mock those who criticize the former president by making a comedic post on Facebook:
Nevertheless, John Mahama insisted that the phrase is an idiomatic expression that means “a critical assignment that you have, and you must do the needful or perish.”, while speaking on Sunyani-based Moonlite FM.
“What I’m saying is, NDC must not wait to go to the Supreme Court. We have to be vigilant at the polling station and collation centres. And so I don’t retract. The next election for NDC is going to be a do or die affair,” he hammered.