Hot Audio: Akufo Addo not behind EC petition – Hassan Ayariga    

The 2016 flagbearer of the All People’s Congress (APC), Hassan Ayariga has defended President Akufo-Addo following claims by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) that the president is behind agitations at the Electoral Commission (EC).
Hassan Ayariga could not fathom why members of the NDC are accusing President Akufo Addo of ‘witch hunting’ the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Charlotte Osei.
‘What is wrong with the NDC and what are they up to this time. Why are they defending the woman when indeed she is not a member of the NDC? Yes, Mahama appointed her and that doesn’t mean they should defend her in anything unless they are telling us Charlotte Osei is an NDC member.
“They should find something better to do and stop defending the woman because Akufo Addo is not and can never be behind that petition” he said on Accra based Okay fm.
The opposition NDC has warned President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to stop attempts to remove the Chairperson of the “independent” EC.
According to the NDC, they will resist the “blackmail witch-hunting” of the head of the election management body.
Addressing a press conference Thursday, Minority Leader and Member of Parliament for Tamale South Haruna Iddrisu cautioned the President to “Stay off [and stop] intruding into the operations and activities of the independent EC,” adding that the NDC has tolerated the NPP hounding out Civil Servants from office since the Mr. Akufo-Addo assumed office on January 7.
The warning to the NPP comes after the Electoral Commission Chairperson Charlotte Osei on Wednesday challenged the lawyer representing the so-called concerned staff of the electoral commission who are demanding her removal from office.
In a statement Wednesday, lawyers for Mrs. Osei dared the law firm of Maxwell Opoku Agyeman, to provide the full details of the petitioners or face her in court.
But the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) has since rebuffed claims by the NDC that they are behind agitations at the Electoral Commission (EC) and the subsequent petition forwarded to President Nana Akufo-Addo for the removal of the EC boss.
However, the former flagbearer of the People’s National Convention (PNC), questioned the benefit President Akufo Addo and the NPP will gain if the Electoral Commission chairperson is removed from office.
“What benefit is NPP and Akufo going to gain if Charlotte Osei is removed? I believe NPP is noted for the respect to constitution and will not go that far” stressed.
Dr Ayriga is of the firm conviction that members at the office of the EC are responsible and called on authorities to immediately investigate allegations leveled against since he believes some may be true.
“It is not NPP members who sent a petition to the president but rather members in his office. Allegations leveled against her are serious and therefore needs to be investigated now because I believe some may be true” he indicated.
Listen to Hassan Ayariga