We must learn – Okoe Boye admonishes politicians over Mahama’s ‘do or die’ comments

Former Member of Parliament for Ledzokuku Constituency Dr Bernard Okoe-Boye has admonished fellow politicians, especially former President John Mahama to learn from past events in the country.

He advised that politicians must do well to learn from the experiences of their fellow politicians in the country.

Dr Okoe-Boye pointed out that when President Akufo-Addo said “all die be die” in the lead-up to the 2012 elections, he received massive opprobrium and flak from the general public, who called on him to apologise for the unfortunate comment.

He said when then candidate Akufo-Addo realized that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) was using the power of incumbency to rig the 2012 general elections, he admonished his party members to protect the gains of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) at all cost and that “all die be die”.

Dr Okoe-Boye said the NDC made a political capital of that admonition, saying he was a violent man, he was instigating people to kill and to sacrifice their lives for his political ambitions when his children are sheltered somewhere safe.

He said this time the NDC communicators are trying to justify the meaning of the statement “do or die” by their presidential hopeful when the meaning is explicit.

Dr Okoe-Boye posited that if one views the video of Mr Mahama, it is clear he prepped the minds of the listeners before making the “do or die” comment.

The former Deputy Health Minister said the former President stated that the NDC did not lose the 2020 elections but that it was rigged by “stuffing the ballot box” and this invigorates the minds of his avid supporters for violence.

He said that declaration will only result in the supporters of the NDC losing confidence in the sanctity of the electoral process to fight the legitimate outcome of the elections at the polling stations across the country.

Dr Okoe-Boye charged that when the NPP lost in the 2012 elections, they went to court to plead their case without resorting to violence as happens in other African countries but Mr Mahama is saying the court is not where he will use to address electoral disputes.

He said these in an interview with Johnnie Hughes on the New Day show on TV3 Wednesday, September 8.

Dr Okoe-Boye was speaking on the heels of the flaring comment made by former President Mahama on a radio station, saying the 2024 polls will be a “do or die” affair, a comment that has received massive opprobrium and flak from all quarters of the country.

“Politicians must learn to learn, we must learn from the experience of our other colleagues. When President Akufo-Addo said ‘all die be die’, what did the NDC say? They said that this man is a violent man, this man is saying that people should kill, people should sacrifice their lives for him, ‘Will his children go to the polling stations?’ and all kinds of statements, even when the President said I didn’t mean people should go and kill but to stand for their rights. Today see what Suhuyini is telling us. He is giving us the English definition of ‘do or die’, that it is persistence and all that,” he said.

By Barima Kwabena Yeboah|editors.3news.com|Ghana