If ghosts were still powerful, Nkrumah would have knocked you down – Mahama tells NAPO

Former President John Dramani Mahama has criticised Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh popularly known as NAPO, the running mate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, over his controversial 'Your Kwame Nkrumah' comment.

According to Mahama, Ghana’s customs and traditions dictate that the dead must be respected, and speaking ill of them goes against traditional norms.

He stated that unlike someone alive who can respond to insults or allegations, the deceased have no way to defend themselves.

He added that if it were in the olden days when ghosts had powers, NAPO would have been dealt with by Nkrumah’s ghost.

“The running mate for NPP when they went and introduced him to Otumfuo; Otumfuo said we brought you up because you are part of the Manhyia Palace and we know we brought you up well. But we hear you are arrogant. We hope that you prove people wrong.

“As soon as he left there, not up to 3 hours, he went and said, ‘Mo Kwame Nkrumah nu’ - that your Kwame Nkrumah. That is a very disrespectful thing to say about the founder of this nation and especially a founder who is no longer alive. You can insult me because I can respond because I'm alive.

“You can insult me because I can respond because I’m alive, but in our tradition, you don’t say evil things about the dead. You don’t disrespect the dead because they are not alive to respond to you. In the past, ghosts were powerful. As he said that, Nkrumah’s ghost would have knocked him down, but now the ghosts have all become disarmed,” John Dramani Mahama said at a campaign rally.

Mahama's comments follow Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh describing the country’s first president as ‘your Nkrumah’ during a political rally in Kumasi in July.

NAPO made the comparison while praising the achievements of the sitting President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

“Since independence from 1957 till today, we’ve not had any president that has helped Ghana like Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. I say from 1957 till today, you can bring your Kwame Nkrumah... no president who has protected Ghana and moved the country forward like Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo,” NAPO said.

These comments outraged many Ghanaians, who condemned him. Subsequently, NAPO issued an apology and explained that it was not his intention to disrespect Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.

Mahama comes at NAPO...#ElectionHub#GHOneNews#GHOneTV pic.twitter.com/uwfkaj4ppN

— GHOne TV (@ghonetv) August 15, 2024

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