Deputy General Secretary of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), lawyer Obiri Boahen has taken former President John Dramani Mahama to the cleaners over the latter’s ‘do-or-die elections 2024 comments.
Speaking on Nyankontonb Mu Nsem on Rainbow RFadio 87.5Fm, the private legal practitioner said the former president erred and must be ashamed of himself.
Former President Mahama has been accused of inciting violence by making the comments he made in an interview he granted on Akina Radio in the Bono Region.
Mr. Mahama had stated that the 2020 polls were not free and fair, and as a party, the NDC learnt their lessons and would ensure that the polls are won at the polling stations and not the Supreme Court.
Mr. Obiri Boahen, in his submission, said in analysing the comments in two scenarios, he would say that it is an undeniable fact that Mr. Mahama wants to scare the NPP and coerce into fear.
He opined that the former leader wants to make the NPP be scared, but the comments would not intimidate or make them scared.
Meanwhile, Mr. Mahama has justified his comments saying what he said was an idiomatic expression and will not apologize.
“…they don’t understand do or die. Do or die is an English idiom. In Africa, we have many proverbs, and we sometimes don’t say things in the straight format, we use proverbs. In English, we have idiomatic expressions. Those who left school early don’t understand idiomatic expressions. Do or die means a critical assignment you have, and so you must do the needful or perish.
He added: “What I mean is that the NDC should not wait and go back to the Supreme Court, whatever has to be done at the polling stations and collation centres must be done. And so I don’t retract, the next election for NDC is going to be a do or die affair. I’m telling all our party executives that you must be at the polling station to make sure that the right thing is done. Don’t abdicate your responsibility at that level and expect that after somebody has stolen the election, we’ll go to Supreme Court to see if they would turn the election for us, they won’t do it.”
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana