Member of Parliament (MP) for Tamale Central, Inusah Fuseini, is still insisting that former president John Mahama “may” be entitled to two more terms in office as president in spite of having served one four-year term.
According to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP, there are lapses in the constitution that must be looked at holistically.
Speaking on Happy FM’s ‘Epa Hoa Daben‘ show, Inusah Fuseini argued that Mahama served as President from 2012 to 2017 after first taking over from the late John Atta Mills, then winning the 2012 elections and was then defeated by Nana Akufo-Addo in 2016 but the constitutional provision refers to a limit of two consecutive terms.
According to him, Mahama has not served for two consecutive terms.
“Studying the constitution carefully, it appears to me that when they say two terms, they mean two consecutive terms. Mahama has served one term; if he is elected in 2020, might be entitled to two consecutive terms.
He added that, “there are precedents in many other places who have these provisions in their constitutions.”
He reaveled that he will go to the highest court of the land [Supreme Court] to seek interpretation.
“I am prepared to go to court if he [Mahama] is elected in 2020 to make sure he serves more than two terms,” he said.
Ghana’s 1992 constitution also says in Article 66 clause 1 and 2 that:
A person elected as President shall, subject to clause (3) of this article, hold office for a term of four years beginning from the date on which he is sworn in as President.
(2) A person shall not be elected to hold office as President of Ghana for more than two terms.
However, the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party, Bernard Antwi Bosiako is challenging the eligibility of ex-president Mahama to contest the 2020 general election.
By: Joseph Nii Ankrah