National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, has cautioned against any attempt to alter Ghana’s presidential term limits specifically to allow President John Dramani Mahama to seek another term in office.
According to him, although President Mahama’s performance has attracted praise from sections of the public and supporters of the NDC, such sentiments should not be used as a basis for changing the country’s constitutional provisions on presidential tenure.
Mr Asiedu Nketiah said Ghana must be careful not to amend its laws to suit an individual, stressing that any changes to the country’s laws must be considered in the broader national interest.
He raised questions about the possible consequences of changing the term-limit provisions, particularly in a situation where President Mahama is allowed to contest but fails to win the subsequent election.
“If Mahama contests and he doesn’t win, what happens? If another person wins, what happens? Even Nana Addo can contest. Anyone can contest,” he said.
His comments come amid renewed discussions among some political actors and members of the public about whether Ghana’s presidential term-limit provisions should be reviewed.
Article 66(2) of the 1992 Constitution states that a person shall not be elected to serve as President of Ghana for more than two terms.
President Mahama has previously indicated that he intends to respect the constitutional provision, maintaining that Ghanaians gave him a mandate to serve one additional term following his return to power.
Asiedu Nketiah’s position therefore appears to reinforce the argument that Ghana’s constitutional arrangements should remain applicable to all political leaders, regardless of their popularity or performance in office.
He stressed the importance of protecting the integrity of the country’s laws rather than making changes based on the circumstances surrounding a particular president.
