Ghanaians don't understand celebrity endorsement yet - Mahama

NDC flagbearer John Mahama has defended his decision not to use celebrities for his campaign, saying Ghanaians do not understand celebrity endorsement properly.

He contends that even though making music for a political party does not amount to an endorsement, the move easily draws antipathy from the opposition against the artistes.

This he believes will stifle the career growth of the artistes.

Mr Mahama on Tuesday noted that he does not hold anything against musicians Sarkodie and Samini for endorsing his main opponent President Akufo-Addo in the upcoming elections.

Speaking on the Morning Starr with Francis Abban Tuesday he noted “musicians would make music for you and all that but it doesn’t really amount to an endorsement.”

“We don’t understand some of these things and in Ghana when a musician makes music for you, or for a political party, then he comes against quite a lot of antipathy from the supporters of the other party and that shouldn’t be the case.”

He went on “but unfortunately, that is what happens, and so in this particular campaign, I have tried to discourage as much as possible getting celebrities involved in our campaign because it leads to the destruction of their career. So, if you notice I haven’t gone around with celebrities and musicians because our politics does not understand those things.”

On the Sark-Samini NPP endorsement, he said “I’ve no hard feelings for Sarkodie and Samini for endorsing Nana Addo but I’ve said that I won’t get musicians and celebrities deeply involved in my campaign because I don’t want to affect their careers.”

“People will misinterpret and think that because they support you ‘I won’t buy their music’  because they support, you won’t watch their movies.”