The Deputy General-Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has said calls for John Dramani Mahama to apologise for allegedly endorsing the “Akyem Sakawa Mafia” comment are misplaced.

Peter Otokunor argued that members of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) have taken the words out of context.

Mahama has come under criticism for sharing an article on the Agyapa Royalties Agreement, which described government officials involved in the deal as “Akyem mafia” and “sakawa boys”.

The article, which was originally written by the Bolgatanga Central MP, Isaac Adongo, has been widely condemned, with some describing it as ethnocentric.

Speaking on JoyNews’ AM Show on Monday, Mr. Otokunor explained that the tag does not refer to all Akyems but the selected group involved in the Agyapa deal.

“Indeed we are talking about the Agyapa Deal and how fraudulent we think it has been, and how a group of people from the president’s family are planning to dupe an entire country.

“And that is where the tag came from. It doesn’t mean all Akyems are ‘Sakawa’ boys,” he said.

Mr Otokunor insists that “There is not going to be an apology about it. We are only discussing this because of the President’s reaction. Mahama did not express that level of anger, and that is why we didn’t have everybody discussing it and calling for an apology”.

He also backed John Mahama’s claims that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has no right to demand an apology or criticize being called names.

“We have had occasions where President Mahama has been called ‘incompetent Mahama’, which ruins his title as a President.

“On no occasion did President Akufo-Addo and his running mate call President Mahama a President with the word incompetent in exclusion,” he said.