Flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Mahama says President Akufo-Addo is so desperate to hold on to power to an extent that he is attempting to whip ethnic sentiment in his campaign.

The former President said attempts to campaign on ethnic lines will not wash since he has advocated a campaign on issues and that is what he is focusing on.

"It is important to point out that no one has described his [Akufo-Addo] ethnic group or any other ethnic group as in the manner in which the President mounts this complaint.

"What I remember is that I shared the post of one of our finest and brilliant MPs from Bolgatanga Central, Isaac Adongo. In that post, Adongo described certain people in the Akufo-Addo government...you know he has a lot of his friends and members of the family in his government so Isaac Adongo described those people behind a certain shady deal in the government in that particular manner," he said in an interview with Radio XYZ in Wa.

His comment comes after President Akufo-Addo in an interview on Friday said his predecessor has endorsed Mr Adongo described people in his government as Akyem Sakawa Mafia who are looting the state.

Describing such an act as unfortunate and unbecoming of a statesman, the President said Mr Mahama should be called to order.

But responding to the NPP flafbearer, the former President said he will be the last person to disparage any ethnic group.

"In the first place, the national Chairman of my party, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, is an Akyem and so are so many leading members ad supporters of the NDC.

"When I was a President, I appointed a lot of Akyems...the head of the NDC manifesto drafting committe, Prof Danso Boafo is an Akyem and they have all contributed to our goverment and our forward march to recapture power in December..." he said.

According to Mr Mahama, President Akufo-Addo has lost the right to complain, because while he was in opposition he called his predecessors all sorts of names.

"He called me Dr Do Little and called somebody 'Simpa Panyin' and I don't want to repeat some of the things he has said. He is a President who have called his critics naysayers and Jeremiahs, so I don't understand on what standard he will be offended at this time because, when he has a precedence of name calling," he said.

Regarding the President's posture while making the comment, Mr Mahama said temperament in leadership is very important.

"There are many things a president should attempt to and you must not seem to appear in public to have lost your cool. He seems very angry, that's cool, I think he should maintain his temperament to come across as a go leader," he said.