Asiedu Nketiah speaks out regarding President Mahama’s plans for a third term

The National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, has denied assertions that the party is planning for President John Dramani Mahama to seek a third term in office.

In an interview with Channel One TV on August 26, 2025, regarding recent rumors about the succession plans of the NDC, Asiedu Nketiah reaffirmed the party’s adherence to Ghana’s constitutional regulations, especially concerning the limit on presidential terms.

“We have never managed our party in contradiction to the national constitution and have no intention of doing so. We will uphold the principles outlined in the constitution,” he declared.

This statement comes at a time when discussions are intensifying about potential candidates to lead the NDC once President Mahama’s current term concludes in 2029.

It is also worth mentioning that Nana Obiri Boahen, a former Deputy General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party, criticized the party’s former National Chairman, Freddie Blay, for suggesting he wouldn’t oppose a Supreme Court interpretation that might allow President Mahama a chance for a third term.

Freddie Blay, participating in the national discussion regarding President John Dramani Mahama’s eligibility for the 2028 elections, expressed his openness to a possible interpretation of the 1992 Constitution’s provisions.

“The law relies on the judges’ discretion. If it reaches the Supreme Court, which possesses the exclusive authority to interpret the constitution, and they determine that the meaning of two terms varies, I won’t oppose that,” he remarked in an interview with Oyerepa FM on June 11, 2025.

Conversely, in response to Blay’s comments during a unique GhanaWeb interview on June 17, 2025, Obiri Boahen criticized him for using technical language to commend the president’s contributions, asserting that while praising the president is not inherently wrong, it should not be done too openly.

Boahen stated that the constitutional clause regarding presidential term limits is straightforward and does not need interpretation, stressing that it is clear and should be comprehensible to all.

He further noted that legal interpretive efforts are only made in court when the language of a law is vague or open to differing interpretations.