Deputy General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Haruna Mohammed, has said he is not surprised by the dismissal of petitions seeking the removal of the Electoral Commissioner, her deputies, and the Special Prosecutor.

In an interview on JoyNews' The Pulse on Wednesday, he explained that the government’s decision to dismiss the petitions was a strategic move to reduce scrutiny and controversy.

“On this particular one, I’m not surprised, but I knew that the party would hit back at the government very soon,” he said. “Remember, the government has received backlash for its conduct in removing the Chief Justice. So they are trying as much as possible to minimise their attacks because they have created a lot of problems in the justice system.”

Mr Mohammed added that the petitions brought against the Electoral Commissioner, her deputies, and the Special Prosecutor were frivolous and that the government is aware of the scrutiny from both the public and the international community.

The Deputy General Secretary also noted that, despite the dismissal of the petitions, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) still wants these officials removed.

The comments follow a ruling by Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, who declared there was no prima facie evidence to justify further investigation into the petitions calling for the removal of the Electoral Commissioner, her deputies, and the Special Prosecutor.