President John Dramani Mahama says years of experience in Ghanaian politics have made him resilient to insults and personal attacks, insisting that criticism will not deter him from pursuing what he believes is right for Ghana and Africa.
Speaking at a town hall meeting with Ghanaians in New York on Friday, September 25, 2026, Mr Mahama said his long experience in public office, including his previous presidency and subsequent electoral defeat, had strengthened his ability to withstand criticism.
He said he had been subjected to intense vilification throughout his political career and had therefore developed what he described as “crocodile skin.”
“As a leader, I don’t mind being insulted. I have been insulted, I was vilified, and I was voted out of office, so for me, this skin is a crocodile skin,” he said.
Mr Mahama stressed that his focus remained on serving Ghana and contributing to Africa’s development, regardless of the personal attacks that may accompany decisions taken by his administration.
“So if you insult me, I don’t mind. You insult me, I don’t mind, and indeed, I am doing what I can for my country and my continent. I am doing what I can for Ghana and Africa,” he added.
The President also addressed concerns over the increasing use of social media platforms, particularly TikTok, for insults, abuse and other potentially harmful content.
He said the country must have a broader conversation about how such platforms should be regulated while protecting freedom of expression.
“I will do what is right. I don’t mind the insults, but all of us have to decide what we want to do with TikTok,” he said.
Mr Mahama noted that government could choose to take a hands-off approach and allow people to say whatever they want online, but questioned whether such an approach would serve the public interest.
“I can go to Cabinet and say, lay off, let anybody insult anybody, let’s leave it free for all and don’t arrest anybody for anything they say. We can do that, but is that what we want?” he asked.
His comments come amid ongoing discussions in Ghana about the balance between freedom of expression and measures to address abusive, threatening or otherwise harmful content on social media platforms.
