Mahama must apologize to women and children for ‘do and die’ comment — NPP-USA Women’s Wing

The Women’s Wing of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the United States (U.S.) has taken a swipe at former President John Dramani Mahama for his comments that the 2024 elections would be a “do or die” affair at polling stations.

According to them, such comments were least expected from the former President and a Presidential candidate of a recent election that cost seven lives and several others injured in 2020.

They noted that the comment, as made by the former President could be understood and misinterpreted by stalwart of political parties, which might lead to a worst situation in the 2024 general elections.

In a press statement signed by Mrs Barbara Boafo, Women’s Organizer of the NPP-USA and copied to the Ghana News Agency, said election-related violence did not only have negative consequences for women and children, but also negatively impacted communities and the country at large.

She therefore expressed worry about the comment and described it as unfortunate since violence would not help anyone.

She said though Mr Mahama had explained the comment, it was not needful looking at the fact that the country just came out of an election that cost seven lives and several others got injured.

She said women and children constituted more than half of Ghana’s population and same were the vulnerable and for that matter if anything untoward should happen before, during and after elections, they would be the most affected.

“It is against this background that we, the Women’s Wing of the NPP in the USA deemed the comment of Mr Mahama as unfortunate and wish to urge him to apologize to Ghanaians, especially women and children,” she emphasized.

She said “political violence has no place in today’s day and age in Ghana’s politics and the world in general, since it does not only have negative consequences for women and children, but also their families with subsequent effects like psychological health”.