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Claim: X users claim that the Flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress, John Mahama, has described Ghanaians as “small-minded.”
Verdict: False! DUBAWA verified the original video from John Mahama’s address at the Benaba Market. Square in Zebilla, Upper East Region, and confirmed that he did not refer to Ghanaians as “small-minded.”
Full Text
Social media users have claimed that the Flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress, John Mahama, referred to Ghanaians as “dumb.” This claim was posted on X on August 8, 2024, with the caption: “Someone who believes that Ghanaians have short minds, and you want us to vote for him? Say no to Mahama.”
The viral video supposedly shows Mr Mahama stating, “As I said in the past, I believe that Ghanaians are small-minded and that you can tell them anything just to win their votes and gain political power.”
The claim has been published by other users, including @_Fiifi_Sage, @sahabela and @TheTPatriots The video has garnered over 10,000 views, and the comments under the post, including one from @wisdom_01, have seen users criticising both the NDC flagbearer and the party.
Verification
A Google Reverse Image Search traced the video to John Mahama’s speech at a gathering at the Benaba Market Square in Zebilla, Upper East Region. Other X users, including Annan Perry, have also shared a portion of the original video.
Upon reviewing the full video streamed by Woezor TV and posted on John Dramani Mahama’s Facebook page on August 4, 2024, it became clear that Mahama did not make the statements attributed to him. The relevant portion of the video can be found between 7:55 and 8:30.
DUBAWA transcribed the actual remarks, revealing that Mahama said: “People believe Ghanaians are small-minded and that you can tell them anything just to win their votes and gain political power. The NDC is not that kind of political party. I am John Mahama. I am not that kind of person. Learn to tell the truth and tell the people the reality.”
Upon further analysis, DUBAWA discovered that the video had been doctored to suggest Mahama described Ghanaians as small-minded.
It is important to note that Woezor TV’s live stream was interrupted just as Mr Mahama commented, preventing the exact moment from being captured. However, the viral video shares distinct similarities with the footage streamed by Woezor TV. These shared features include a red tent positioned behind Mr Mahama and a man wearing a black shirt with an NDC sash standing beside him. These elements indicate that both videos were filmed at the same event at the Benaba Market Square in Zebilla, Upper East Region.
Conclusion
The viral video has been doctored and is being circulated to falsely portray John Mahama as contemptuous of Ghanaians for saying, “Ghanaians are small-minded.”
