The Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mustapha Foyo Gbande, has weighed in on the ongoing debate over whether President John Dramani Mahama can or intends to seek a third term in office.
According to him, Ghana is experiencing an unprecedented political situation where a former president lost an election after one term and later returned to power. He noted that similar scenarios have occurred elsewhere, citing the United States and Côte d’Ivoire, where debates around term limits and constitutional interpretation have also generated national discussion.
Gbande argued that such debates are not unique to Ghana and are often driven by political interpretation rather than clear-cut constitutional breaches. He stressed that divisions over the issue largely stem from differing readings of constitutional provisions, not from any explicit declaration by President Mahama to seek a third term.
He further claimed that calls for President Mahama to continue in office are fueled by what many Ghanaians perceive as strong performance by the current NDC-led government. According to him, public support—not constitutional manipulation—is driving the conversation.
The NDC executive, however, believes the debate was deliberately initiated by the New Patriotic Party (NPP), particularly the Minority Leader, Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin. Gbande accused the NPP of exploiting perceived constitutional loopholes and framing them as a “third-term agenda” to distract the government and control the national narrative.
He referenced comments by NDC General Secretary, Fiifi Kwetey, who has expressed frustration over attempts by the opposition to set the agenda for the governing party.
Gbande emphasized that the NDC remains focused on governance and performance and will not allow the opposition to derail its priorities through what he described as politically motivated speculation.
Story: Nyamebeye Kofi Ansah Sasraku