Editor-in-Chief of the Daily Searchlight newspaper, Kenneth Agyei Korankye, has taken legal action against John Mahama by filing a case in the Supreme Court against his bid to become president.
He argues that Mahama lacks eligibility to run for office in the upcoming 2024 elections.
Mr Korankye’s concerns are that, the norm usually involve serving two consecutive terms before considering to step down and contemplate on another future candidacy.
However, in Mahama’s case, he served for only one term and stepped down thereof. Coming back now to contest again according to him, is not permissible.
“I recall raising a concern about the concept of serving two presidential terms. Typically, each term is four years, and presidents are eligible for re-election for another consecutive four-year term. My argument is that these terms should be served consecutively. In the case of Mahama, he did not continue in office after his initial four-year term. After a period out of office, he is now seeking to return to the presidency.”
“My interpretation, which is not in line with the Supreme Court’s perspective, asserts that presidential terms should be consecutive—meaning a leader should serve two terms in a row before considering stepping down. The key point is that it shouldn’t be a case of serving one term, leaving office, and then coming back for another term; instead, there should be two consecutive terms before any break in service,” he told the media
John Mahama will contest the presidency for a fourth time in next year’s elections after securing the main opposition party’s nomination.
The National Democratic Congress chose Mahama, 64, as its flag-bearer ahead of two other contenders, the nation’s Electoral Commission said in the capital, Accra, on Sunday.
He polled 98.9% of total votes, while Kojo Bonsu, a former mayor of Kumasi, Ghana’s second-biggest city garnered 1.1%, Kwabena Duffuor, a former central bank governor and ex-finance minister, withdrew from the race on the morning of the vote.