He said Mahama only urged the party supporters to be ready to battle with the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the 2024 elections but doesn't mean violence adding that he [Mahama] will not retract his controversial 'do or die' comment.
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Check the dictionary if you don't understand do-or-die – Asiedu Nketia to critics
Johnson Asiedu Nketia, popularly known as General Mosquito, General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has dared critics of remarks made by the 2020 presidential candidate of the party, John Mahama, that the 2024 elections will be a do-or-die affair, especially at the polling stations.
NDC General Secretary Asiedu Nketia
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According to him, it is an idiomatic expression in the English Language.
Speaking on Accra-based Citi FM, he said "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."
He added: "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."
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John Mahama
Pulse Ghana
Meanwhile, Mahama speaking on Moonlite FM in Sunyani, said he stands by his comment.
He said "It is an idiomatic expression. In the English Language, we have idioms in there. I think those who left school early do not understand idiomatic expressions. Do or die means a critical assignment you have, and you must do the needful or perish. What it means is that [officials of the] NDC shouldn't wait and go to the Supreme Court again."
"So we have to do whatever we need to do at the polling station and the collation centres. So I won't retract. The next election for NDC is going to be a do-or-die affair because we have to do the right thing at the polling stations. So I'm telling all our party executives that they must be at the polling stations and make sure the right thing is done. They must also be at the collation centres and make sure the right thing is done," he stressed.
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