Wontumi to challenge Mahama's '3rd term' in office as President at Supreme Court

The Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako has initiated moves aimed at preventing former President John Dramani Mahama from seeking another term in office.

According to Mr Antwi Boasiako popularly referred to as Chairman Wontumi, Mr Mahama has already served two terms in office in line with what the 1992 constitution prescribes and therefore another term in office would be his third, which he claims was against the constitution.

He has subsequently prepared a petition to be sent to Parliament and the Electoral Commission, to urge the two bodies to prevent Mr Mahama from seeking another term in office.

He has also indicated his readiness to proceed to the Supreme Court for an interpretation.

He told Graphic Online in Kumasi on Sunday that he wants Mr John Dramani Mahama to be declared ineligible to contest the 2020 Presidential elections because it would be in violation of Article 66 of the 1992 constitution of Ghana.

Speaking to Graphic Online's Kumasi correspondent, Daniel Kenu on Sunday, Mr Antwi Boasiako argued that since Mr Mahama completed the term for late President, John Atta Mills and successfully completed his personal term of four years, he is deemed to have completed his tenure and therefore could not run for the same office again.

He is, therefore going to apply to the Supreme Court for an interpretation to Article 66 of the constitution to help put the matter to rest.

Mr Antwi Boasiako said he was also going to approach former President Jerry John Rawlings for him to pressure Mr Mahama to desist from contesting the next elections on the ticket of any political party including the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

"The state could not continue to spend money on all former presidents only for one (Mahama) to nicodemously sneak out and contest an election on the ticket of a political party," a part of the petition to Parliament seen by Graphic Online stated.

He insisted that Mr Mahama belonged to the "club of ex- presidents" and it would be wrong for him to be president again.

"If former President Jerry John Rawlings and others do not speak out now, it could prepare the grounds for future chaos. Mr Mahama wants to be the unorthodox type of former president and create confusion for us," another part of the petition said.

"Indeed, Article 66 of the 1992 constitution states among other things that:

1. 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."

Chairman Wontumi quoted the constitution and told Graphic Online that it would be wrong for Mr Mahama to continue to enjoy the privileges of a former president and still contest for that same office for a "third term".