Benjamin Gyewu-Appiah, a member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) communication team, has stated that his call for Ghanaians to burn him alive on TV if the National Democratic Congress (NDC) flagbearer John Mahama wins was just political talk.

According to him, he made that statement to motivate his party members to work hard and ensure the victory of the NPP, rather than for it to be taken literally.

Speaking in an interview on Neat FM on December 9, 2024, he stated, “The host challenged me that in the upcoming election, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia will not even get 20%.

“So, I also said, based on what I have seen during our national tour, Bawumia will win the election, and if he doesn’t win... and you know, in an election, you have to say something to motivate your supporters to go out and vote. That pushed me to say that if John Mahama wins, I will burn myself.

“But it was not something that I would do. It was just to say that based on the tour and what I have seen, that was my driving force.

“If you can remember, in 2016, Alhaji Sunami said that if President Akufo-Addo won, he would drink poison, but today he is still alive. So, it was just political talk. It doesn’t mean that I would do that; it is just a political statement, and I plead with Ghanaians that I didn’t speak well. My friends and family are very worried.”

Appearing as a panelist on Original TV on November 26, 2024, Gyewu-Appiah boldly proclaimed that he would burn himself alive on TV should the NDC’s presidential candidate, John Dramani Mahama, emerges the winner of the 2024 polls.

Gyewu-Appiah, sounding confident in the victory of his party and Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia as the declared winner, stated that he would stick to his promise and fulfill it.

“If John Mahama wins this election, pour kerosene on me and burn me alive on live TV so Ghanaians can watch. I’m telling you this, if Mahama wins this election, I will personally douse myself in kerosene and burn myself alive in a live coverage and I’m not joking with this,” he said

When the host of the show tried to warn him that someone could harm him if he failed to keep his word, He continued saying, “Immediately he wins, I will sit here and burn myself to death. I always fulfill my promises and I will do it. No one will see me and try to harm me over this statement because I will fulfill my words. I will not allow someone kill me but will do so myself.”

Benjamin Gyewu-Appiah, a member of the NPP Communications team, speaking from his hideout, has stated that his previous statement about burning himself alive on TV if John Mahama wins the election was just a political statement and did not necessarily mean he would actually do… pic.twitter.com/zsczDwHS30

— EDHUB🌍ℹ (@eddie_wrt) December 9, 2024

I will burn myself alive on TV if John Mahama wins this election. - NPP Communications team member, Benjamin Gyewu-Appiah. pic.twitter.com/08WYVdlSkr

— EDHUB🌍ℹ (@eddie_wrt) November 28, 2024