Private legal practitioner, Nana Obiri Boahen, has cautioned President John Dramani Mahama against seeking a third-term presidential bid.
Sharing his views on the ongoing national debate regarding Mahama’s eligibility to contest the 2028 general elections, Obiri Boahen warned that such a move could have dire consequences for both the president, as an individual, and the country as a whole.
He explained that the framers of the constitution took into account the potential impact of exceeding a certain threshold on the country’s democracy, which is why they explicitly set the limit at two terms.
“If Mahama decides to go for another term, it will be dangerous for him as an individual and for Ghana as a country. The framers of the constitution thought it wise that you go for two terms,” he said in a GhanaWeb interview on June 17, 2025.
Obiri Boahen asserted that President Mahama’s nomination of justices to the Supreme Court is allegedly a strategic move to pave the way for a possible third term.
He further referenced past precedents where former presidents, initially praised and encouraged to seek additional terms, later faced opposition.
He added that based on these historical patterns, Mahama could face a similar fate, with his own party members eventually turning against him and opposing his decision.
“So, if you want to torpedo that provision [sic], that perhaps explains why he has appointed a lot of people to the Supreme Court so big but I’m giving him the advice. The warning is that if he decides to do that, even in his own party, NDC, some people will oppose it,” he noted.
He advised the president not to listen to those excessively praising him and his government but to peacefully bow out of office after his term ends, ensuring a great legacy for himself.
“People learn history, but they don’t learn from the lessons of history. By 1959-1960, Kwame Nkrumah was considered on equal terms with Jesus Christ but by 1966, after February, he was hated. The same was done to Jerry John Rawlings and Akufo-Addo. Mahama came in 2009, and by 2015, they voted him out. It is a common phenomenon in life so that is why it is said that an actor must leave the stage when the applause is loudest,” he added.
MAG/AE
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