President John Dramani Mahama has admonished the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to refrain from needless verbal attacks on the Chair of the Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana and the election management body itself.

Mr. Mahama, who was not enthused about the conduct of some officials of the NPP towards the EC and Mrs. Charlotte Osei, indicated: “Lately it has become fashionable for the largest opposition party to discredit the Electoral Commission. All kinds of accusations including unprintable insults hurled at the person of the EC chair have become normal.”

He found the trend worrying as he stressed that the practice was “unacceptable” and further admonished the party to call its members to order.

However, he felt the Danquah-Busia-Dombo party could be employing “an old trick meant to vilify the referee [EC] and reduce the credibility of the referee in the eyes of the public when you can tell that you are losing the match”.

In his view, such acts create the platform where “the one who loses discredits and contests the outcome of the match, which is the underlying cause for all the whining against the EC at every step of the electoral process”.

For him, the EC has a proud record of delivering credible elections in the country and has been used as a facilitator and resource person to transfer Ghana’s experience to other countries.

Notable among the NPP bigwigs who have criticised the EC is Assin Central MP, Kennedy Agyapong, who alleged that the EC boss offered sex to gain her current position.

Mr Agyapong, while addressing some supporters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in Kumasi on Saturday June 25, 2016, alleged that some highly-placed persons in government advised Mrs. Osei – then chair of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), who took over from Dr. Kwadwo Afari Gyan as EC boss – to “bring your derriere in exchange for the EC Chair position”.

Mr. Agyapong was condemned by women groups and individuals for those comments. For instance, a member of the Council of State, Ama Benyiwa-Doe accused Mr. Agyapong of being a long-standing misogynist. Also, some women groups organised demonstrations against the MP and petitioned parliament to sanction him.

But the lawmaker later indicated that his comment was a “joke”.

“I said a lot of things on that day, even this one I was joking, I immediately took my seat after making those comments…yes, I was joking…,” Mr. Agyapong had said on Adom FM on Tuesday, August 9.

“I have nothing against Charlotte [Osei] if and only if she would be fair to Ghanaians…”