'Ghanaians gave me one additional term; it’s exactly what the constitution says' — Mahama on presidential term clause
President John Dramani Mahama has expressed confidence that the constitutional provision on presidential tenure is unambiguous, despite a suit before the Supreme Court seeking an interpretation of the two-term limit for presidents.
Speaking on the matter, the President said he believes the relevant constitutional clause is straightforward, although he acknowledged the right of individuals to seek clarification from the country's apex court.
“I know that people have gone to the Supreme Court seeking interpretation of the clause that governs the tenure of the president. If you ask my personal opinion, I thought that it was clear enough. I’ve read it over several times; it’s exactly what it says, but if they want to ask the Supreme Court, that is their business,” he said.
His remarks follow a suit filed at the Supreme Court by Ghanaian citizen Ganiwu Alhassan, who is seeking a declaration on whether a person who has served two separate, non-consecutive terms as President is eligible to contest the presidency again.
The action, which names the Attorney-General as the defendant, asks the court to interpret Article 66(2) of the 1992 Constitution, which provides that no person shall be elected to hold the office of President for more than two terms.
Alhassan wants the Supreme Court to determine whether the constitutional provision prohibits only consecutive terms or bars anyone who has already served two terms, whether consecutive or not, from seeking re-election.
President Mahama, who returned to office in 2025 after serving as President between 2013 and 2017, said his attention remains firmly on fulfilling the mandate entrusted to him by the Ghanaian electorate.
“The people of Ghana gave me a mandate for one term. And I am working hard to meet the promises I made them,” he said.
The President said he has consistently urged his ministers to approach their work with urgency to ensure that the government's commitments are fulfilled within its tenure.
“I always tell my ministers, I say let’s number our days, so that we can work harder to meet the promises we made the Ghanaian people,” he said.
Reaffirming his commitment to his current administration, President Mahama said he regards his present tenure as the additional term granted to him by Ghanaians and remains focused on delivering on his promises.
“But I know that the people of Ghana gave me one additional term, and I’m going to work to meet the trust that they put in me,” he said.
The Supreme Court is expected to rule on the constitutional interpretation of the presidential term limit once it hears the suit filed by Alhassan.