Mahama’s ‘do or die’ same as Akufo-Addo’s ‘all die be die’ - Franklin Cudjoe

According to the policy analyst, the statement made by former President Mahama is in all essence, equal to a similar one made by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in the lead up to the 2012 election when he was then in opposition.

“JM, respectfully your 'do or die' comment is in the same league as Nana Addo's 'All die be die'. Not cool,” Mr Franklin Cudjoe shared in a Facebook page sighted by GhanaWeb.

Former President Mahama in an interview with Techiman-based Akina FM said his party, the National Democratic Congress will brace itself to ensure ballots are protected at all cost in the next general elections.

According to Mr. Mahama, the ruling New Patriotic Party used state security to rig the 2020 elections. He served notice that the story will be different come 2024 as the NDC will protect the ballots at all cost.

“This current president has made elections life and death, he uses his Delta forces and invisible forces enrolled in the security agencies.

“You see some military and police officers and ask whether these are indeed officers. They wear earrings and all sorts of things and you can’t tell whether this is a police officer or a soldier.

"We know they have infiltrated the security with some of their people.

“Look at what happened at Techiman South, the ways they shot at the crowd, it was intended to kill people.

“We hope that the next elections, we won’t see scenes like that again.

“We have learnt our lessons from happenings during the 2020 polls. The 2024 elections will be won or lost at the polling station. It will be do-or-die at the polling stations. The right thing must be done during the polls. We will win the elections at the polling station and won’t wait for collation centre results nor petition the Supreme Court if aggrieved,” the former President said.

His comments have however drawn several condemnations as some people have suggested it has the likelihood to stoke violence.

Others also say the comment made by Mr Mahama is not too far from one that was made by President Akufo-Addo in his opposition days in 2012.

President Akufo-Addo, addressing a party delegates conference in the run-up to election 2012 entreated NPP members to prepare to defend the election as he envisioned the then ruling NDC to deploy every possible means to hold onto power.

"We need to be bold and courageous for 2012 because Ghanaians need us to come to power," he said.

Nana Akufo-Addo thus charged his party members to be ready to protect the ballot at the cost of their lives by alluding to the phrase ‘all die be die.”

"Ghanaians are crying for a big change and their only hope is the NPP because they know the NPP has done it before so we must work hard to get the party back to power to bring relief to Ghanaians. In 2012, all die be die" he stated at the time.