Member of the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) communications team, Benjamin Gyewu-Appiah, has clarified his controversial statement about setting himself ablaze if John Dramani Mahama wins the 2024 election.
Speaking from an undisclosed location, Gyewu-Appiah admitted that his comment was a political expression meant to rally support for the NPP and not a serious declaration.
The communicator explained that, his remark was made during a heated exchange, following doubts about Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia’s chances of winning or even garnering 20% of the votes.
Confident in Dr. Bawumia’s prospects, he claimed the statement was meant to energize party supporters to show up in large numbers on election day.
Gyewu-Appiah expressed regret, acknowledging the impact of his words on his family, friends, and party executives, who have grown increasingly concerned for his safety.
“There is no way I will ever resort to suicide,” he assured, calling on Ghanaians to forgive him for what he described as a “political gimmick.”
He also noted that similar hyperbolic statements by politicians have been overlooked in the past and did not anticipate his being taken so seriously.
Gyewu-Appiah pledged to be more mindful of his public utterances in the future.