President John Mahama has criticized the New Patriotic Party (NPP) over the violence which has engulfed the main opposition party in Ghana.

He said losing two lives over an internal party issue is worrying hence the Danquah-Busia-Dombo tradition needs prayers ahead of the 2016 general elections.

Speaking at a rally at the Trade Fair Centre in Accra, Monday, Mahama reiterated that no one must lose his life because of politics.

“We want a peaceful campaign,” the president told a teeming crowd during his “Transforming Lives” campaign. “NDC is a party of peace. We have gone through a revolution and we know what violence is like. And as a result of knowing what violence is like we are a very peaceful people.”

He added: “We are Karate Black belt so we don’t like to fight but if you push us to the corner we shall defend ourselves. Our opponents too know what violence is like because they have violence antecedent… that is why they need to mature quickly and put all these violence behind them.

“We want a peaceful election. We want a peaceful NPP. It is not acceptable and unfortunate what is happening in that party. There is no room in the 21st Century politics for acid bath, there is no room in 21st Century for stabbing your fellow person. No amount of political power is worth the drop of blood of a single Ghanaian and that is why we must pray for peace in that party… we don’t want to see any more injuries.”

The NPP has been in the news since last year for all the wrong reasons and recently its crisis aggravated following the suspension of its national chairman Paul Afoko by the National Executive Committee for allegedly working against the party.

Following the suspension, a party supporter was stabbed in Asawase in the Ashanti region, a few months after the Upper East regional chairman of the NPP Adams Mahama was acid-attacked.