Government Spokesperson Felix Kwakye Ofosu has described the debate over President John Dramani Mahama’s possible third-term bid as political propaganda by the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
According to him, there has never been any uncertainty about the constitutional provisions on presidential term limits or President Mahama’s position on the matter.
Speaking on Channel One TV’s Face to Face on Tuesday, August 4, Mr Kwakye Ofosu said the issue was raised by the NPP during the 2024 election campaign after the party realised it was heading for defeat.
“What happened was that in the heat of the 2024 elections, the NPP somehow saw that all was lost. So they came up with this very desperate bit of propaganda about the third term. But it was never really an issue,” he said.
He maintained that President Mahama has consistently stated that he will not seek a third term in office, pointing to comments he made on both local and international platforms.
“President Mahama has been clear on it. It was on an international platform in Singapore; he said so. About three weeks ago, he said the same,” Mr Kwakye Ofosu added.
The government spokesperson acknowledged that the Supreme Court’s decision on the ongoing case seeking clarity on presidential term limits could further clarify the constitutional provisions. However, he maintained that government’s understanding remains that the law is clear.
“Maybe the Supreme Court will bring further clarity to them. But as far as we are concerned, it’s very clear. And there’s no doubt about it,” he said.
The third-term debate has resurfaced following legal proceedings seeking the Supreme Court’s interpretation of provisions relating to presidential term limits under Ghana’s 1992 Constitution.
However, Mr Kwakye Ofosu maintains that there is no indication that President Mahama has changed his position on the matter.
“There’s no indication, as of now, that President Mahama has changed his mind on the matter,” he said.
