The Director of Policy Engagement and Partnerships at the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), Dr. Kojo Asante, has called for an end to speculation over a possible third presidential term for President John Dramani Mahama, insisting that Ghana’s constitutional two-term limit must be respected.
His comments follow a suit filed at the Supreme Court by Ganiwu Alhassan, a teacher from Kpandai, seeking an interpretation of Article 66(2) of the 1992 Constitution on whether a president who has served two non-consecutive terms can contest for office again.
In a Facebook post on Friday, July 10, Dr. Asante said the country had more pressing issues to address than debates over extending presidential tenure.
“Please, we have enough problems in this country to start speculation about third-term bids. Two terms mean two terms,” he wrote.
He cautioned that attempts to extend presidential tenure had triggered political instability in several African countries, citing examples across the continent.
“A lot of countries have paid a terrible price for term elongation. Senegal just went through one, Guinea had a coup, we have seen what has happened in Côte d’Ivoire, Togo, the shenanigans in Benin, Guinea Bissau,” he said.
Dr. Asante also urged President Mahama to publicly and unequivocally dismiss any suggestion that he intends to remain in office beyond two terms.
“The President should not even wait for the fax paper to cool, he should make a clear and unequivocal statement that he is focused on completing his two terms and he will leave like all his predecessors, Rawlings, Kufuor and Nana Addo,” he added.
His comments contribute to the growing public debate over Ghana’s presidential term limits following the Supreme Court action, with proponents and critics weighing in on the constitutional interpretation and its potential political implications.
