The presidential candidate of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr. John Dramani Mahama has apparently reiterated his belief that Ghanaians have short memories as the country inches towards the December 7, 2024 general election.
Some time ago, former President Mahama described Ghanaians as people who are small-minded with short-memories who can be lied to during political campaign just to win power.
“A lot of times, when it gets to election time, every political party begins to hustle and so whatever you will say to get people’s hearts to turn towards you, is what you say. And so if it’s a lie, you include it, if it’s the truth, you include it. We jumble it all together. The truth is there but we won’t say it but then we will mix it with lies,” Mr. Mahama stated during a campaign tour of the Volta Region.
In a recent leaked tape that has gone viral, the NDC presidential candidate is loudly heard repeating his earlier comment that Ghanaians, particularly Asantes, have short memories and therefore should be lied to, to win votes in the Ashanti region.
He urged members of his party to keep lying to Ghanaians, particularly the people of Ashanti Region, claiming the electorate have ‘short memories’ and will soon forget the lies.
“Ghanaians have short memories; you can always lie to them today, and by tomorrow, they will forget,” hence the need for NDC members to work and finish hard, ignoring all relevant truths.
In the leaked tape suggesting a secret meeting between Mr. Mahama and some NDC members, the former president is heard encouraging his audience, saying the Ashantis are buying the lies and suggesting that if the party continues with the strategy, it will tilt the election in favour of the opposition party.
“Let’s finish hard. Keep lying to them and get all the votes. The Ashantis are believing the lies and are coming out to support. So, let’s finish hard,” Mr. Mahama is heard saying.
He is also heard planning to “flush out” some members of the security services after winning the election.
“For the security forces, let’s finish the elections, and we can flush them out,” Mr. Mahama is heard saying in the audio, confirming calls made by some NDC supporters to dismiss certain security officers should they win the general election.
NDC’s agenda
In August this year, the National Chairman of the NDC, Asiedu Nketiah, sparked controversy when he threatened that the NDC would sack all newly recruited security personnel.
Addressing the chiefs and people of Boso in the Asuogyaman Constituency in the Eastern Region, Mr. Nketiah threatened to dismiss all newly recruited security personnel in the next NDC government, accusing the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) of recruiting “party boys” into the services.
In July 2020, the National Communications Officer of the NDC, Sammy Gyamfi, also threatened to deal with the security agencies mercilessly should the NDC win the election.
Speaking at a media briefing, Sammy Gyamfi stated, “We are telling them, all the security agencies, they are making the security services’ term conterminous with that of President Akufo-Addo. The day President Akufo-Addo exits office will be the last day they serve as policemen and military men, and we will deal with them mercilessly. That’s the message we (NDC) are sending to them.”
It emerging that the call on NDC members to keep lying to Ghanaians and the reference to Ghanaians having short memories seem to be becoming a stock-in-trade of the former president, leading to widespread condemnation.
In December 2013, Mr. Mahama described Ghanaians as having short memories.
Speaking at the inauguration of the Revival Restoration Centre of the Assemblies of God Church in Accra, Mr. Mahama said, “The country has had a challenging year, that is true. We had market fires, and I’m sure most of you have forgotten about the market fire…Very often in Ghana, we have a very short memory.
