The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) says, it is undaunted by critiques of the ‘do or die’ remark made by its 2020 presidential candidate, John Mahama.
According to the party, in defiance of the enormous pressure on the former president to retract his statement, the comment is without malice.
There has been extensive controversy following the assertion by John Mahama after he affirmed that the NDC will be more vigilant amid the 2024 general elections.
Mahama thereon justified the pronouncement, clarifying that it is an idiomatic expression, thus, he will not retract or apologize.
Speaking on Accra-based Citi Fm, the General Secretary of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah said, Mr. Mahama was underlining the need for party members to give off their utmost in safeguarding the party’s interest in the elections to come.
“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 the 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.”
The NDC chief scribe also added that the comment many have interpreted as inciting is just being blown out of proportion.
“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”.
By: Kwame Asante Acheampong