Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has suggested that President John Dramani Mahama’s efforts to reform the country are being undermined by influential figures within the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show on Friday, July 17, Mr Afenyo-Markin said President Mahama has long been viewed as a moderate politician committed to national reforms, but recent developments indicate that hardliners within the NDC are influencing the direction of his administration.
“I think that Mr President comes across as someone who is determined to pursue reforms,” he said.
According to the Minority Leader, President Mahama’s personality and leadership style have earned him the admiration of many Ghanaians over the years.
“Knowing him as a student back in the day, he was a calm, centrist-thinking person, and that earned him the admiration of many Ghanaians,” Mr Afenyo-Markin stated.
He, however, argued that the current administration does not fully reflect those qualities.
“From what I see so far, I think the hawks have more or less tied his hands. The hawks in the party are influencing the direction of government,” he said.
Mr Afenyo-Markin said although President Mahama’s first administration faced several challenges, his current tenure presents an opportunity to build a lasting legacy.
“We can say that his first term had some uncertainties, but now it is his final term,” he added.
The Minority Leader also addressed recent speculation about the possibility of President Mahama seeking a third term in office, describing the reports as concerning.
While acknowledging that the claims remain unconfirmed, he alleged that discussions on the matter are taking place within government circles.
“Some people are putting it into his mind that he can go for a third term. We are hearing it from government circles, and some people in government are not comfortable with that idea,” he alleged.
Mr Afenyo-Markin urged President Mahama to publicly distance himself from any suggestion that he intends to seek another presidential term beyond the constitutional limit.
“It appears, though it is unconfirmed, that Mr President is interested in a third term. So maybe he would have to reassure the nation that it is not an idea he wants to entertain at all,” he said.
He further called on the President to use his remaining years in office to break what he described as a cycle of political retaliation that has characterised successive governments.
“I think that Mr President would leave a good legacy if he is able to end this vicious cycle of ‘you do me, I do you’,” he said.
Mr Afenyo-Markin acknowledged that both the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) share responsibility for allowing political victimisation to persist.
“I concede that we, the two political parties, have not done enough to stop this idea of a political witch hunt. I concede. But there must be an end somewhere,” he stated.
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