President John Dramani Mahama has ruled out any suggestion of seeking a third term in office, insisting that his attention is firmly fixed on delivering the promises he made to Ghanaians after securing a mandate to serve one additional term.
Addressing the ongoing legal challenge before the Supreme Court over the constitutional provision on presidential tenure, the President said he has no intention of pursuing any agenda beyond the mandate entrusted to him by the electorate.
“The people of Ghana gave me a mandate for one term and I am working hard to meet the promises I made them,” President Mahama stated.
He explained that the limited duration of his administration has shaped the urgency with which government is approaching its programmes, noting that he constantly reminds his ministers that time is of the essence.
“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.
The President’s remarks come as the Supreme Court prepares to hear a constitutional case filed by a Ghanaian citizen, Ganiwu Alhassan, seeking an interpretation of Article 66(2) of the 1992 Constitution, which states that a person shall not be elected President for more than two terms.
In the suit, the plaintiff argues that the constitutional provision only prohibits a President from serving more than two consecutive terms and does not prevent someone who has served two separate, non-consecutive terms from contesting the presidency again.
Reacting to the case, President Mahama said he had carefully examined the constitutional provision and believed its meaning was already unambiguous, although he acknowledged every citizen’s right to seek judicial clarification.
“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. Me, 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.
Mahama, who returned to office in 2025 after previously serving as President between 2013 and 2017, reiterated that he remains committed to honouring the confidence reposed in him by Ghanaians rather than entertaining discussions about extending his stay in office.
“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 added.
The Supreme Court is expected to determine the scope of Article 66(2) in the case against the Attorney-General, a ruling that could provide further clarity on Ghana’s constitutional provisions governing presidential tenure.
