Opinions of Sunday, 7 January 2024

Columnist: Michael Agbesi Kelly

A crab in the nose of the elephant: Mahama teases NPP

Former President, John Mahama holding a crab Former President, John Mahama holding a crab

His Excellency John Dramani Mahama holding a crab metaphorically to ‘mock’ political opponents, specifically the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

It is important to note that political rallies often involve the use of symbols and gestures to convey messages or mock opponents. These actions can vary widely depending on the context and the individuals involved.

Former President and flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama at the “Building Ghana Tour” in Central region together with party Chairman, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah and others was spotted holding a crab to mock the ‘elephant’ party.

In politics, the term “crab” is often used metaphorically to describe a situation where individuals within a group or party work against each other rather than supporting each other’s efforts.

The metaphor comes from the behavior of crabs in a bucket, where if one crab tries to climb out, the others will pull it back down, preventing any one crab from escaping.

In the context of politics, this term is used to highlight the tendency of individuals within a political group to undermine or sabotage each other’s efforts for personal gain or to maintain their own position of power.

Mahama’s ‘mockery’ comes after the NPP accused the former President and the NDC of excessive borrowing, corruption, cedi depreciation, incompetence, and among others when they were in opposition; just to witness worse under the current leadership of Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the “economic messiah”.

This behavior of the crab can hinder progress, unity, and cooperation within the group, ultimately leading to a lack of effective governance.