The Director of Communications of the United Party (UP), Solomon Owusu, has said the strongest opposition to any attempt by President John Dramani Mahama to seek a third term in office would come from within the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC), rather than from opposition parties.
According to him, while such a move would likely face stiff resistance from members of the President’s own party, the United Party would have no objection if Mr Mahama chose to pursue another term.
Speaking on Prime Insight on JoyPrime on Saturday, July 18, Mr Owusu argued that President Mahama’s political experience would shape any decision on the matter.
“He (John Mahama) has the numbers in Parliament, but let me tell you something, his greatest opposition will rather come from within, not from outside. John Mahama, currently, is the most experienced politician in this country, and he knows it,” he said.
He added: “By the way, from the United Party’s point of view, we don’t have any problem even if they try to get him into the third term, because remember that John Mahama lost in 2016.”
Mr Owusu’s comments come amid ongoing public debate over presidential term limits, although President Mahama has not indicated that he intends to seek a third term in office.
Addressing the issue during his tour of the Volta Region on Friday, July 17, President Mahama reiterated his view that the constitutional provisions on presidential tenure are clear.
“I know that people have to go to the court seeking interpretation of the clause that governs the tenure of the president. If you ask my personal opinion, I think that it was clear enough. I have read it over and over again, and it is exactly what it says, but if they want to ask the Supreme Court, that is their business.
“But I know that the people of Ghana gave me one additional term, and I am going to work to meet the trust that they put in me,” the President said.
Meanwhile, President Mahama has reiterated that he’s not interested in pursuing a third-term bid.
