I don’t mind being insulted; I have a crocodile skin

President John Dramani Mahama has said he is not bothered by insults and personal attacks directed at him, insisting that his priority remains doing what he considers right for Ghana and Africa.

The President made the comments during an engagement with Ghanaians in New York on Friday, September 25, 2026, where he spoke about the growing trend of insults, vilification and personal attacks on social media.

Mr Mahama said his long experience in Ghanaian politics and public service had exposed him to intense criticism, including during his previous time as President.

According to him, those experiences had strengthened his ability to withstand personal attacks and remain focused on his responsibilities.

“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. So if you insult me, I don’t mind,” he said.

Mr Mahama added that he remained committed to serving Ghana and Africa despite the criticism.

“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, questioning whether the government should allow unrestricted abuse on the platform without consequences.

He noted that the government could choose to adopt a completely hands-off approach to online speech, but questioned whether that would be the preferred option.

His remarks came during a broader discussion on the regulation of TikTok and other emerging media platforms, particularly the need to balance freedom of expression with concerns over abusive and harmful content on social media.