‘Do or die’ is different from ‘All die be die’ – Mahama

Former President John Dramani Mahama has stood by comments he made on Tuesday, September 7 to the effect that the next general elections in 2024 will be a do-or-die affair.

He said he won’t retract the comments but stands by them given the “fraud” that characterised the 2020 elections.

Justifying the comments in an interview with Sunyani-based Moonlite FM on Wednesday, September 8, Mr Mahama said ‘Do or die’ is an idiomatic expression which does not mean what most Ghanaians are referring to.

“Go and open your dictionary and see what ‘Do or die’ means.”

Many have equated the comments to the ‘All die be die’ one made by then opposition candidate, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, in Koforidua prior to the 2012 elections.

They ascribe violence to the comments.

But Mr Mahama said his is different from Mr Akufo-Addo’s.

“It’s different from ‘All die be die’. ‘All die be die’ is broken English [or] pidgin jargon that we say but this, ‘Do or die’, go open a dictionary and see. And I say it’s a do-or-die affair.

“NDC must man the polling station, they must man the collation centres, make sure the pink sheets are correct, make sure we get the right results and everything because maybe someone else will be flagbearer. They will choose Supreme Court but if I become flagbearer I am not going to the Supreme Court.

“We must win at the polling station or collation centre.”