A member of the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) communications team, Atick Yakubu, has claimed that National Democratic Congress (NDC) National Chairman Johnson Asiedu Nketiah would be the strongest opponent of any attempt by President John Dramani Mahama to seek a third term in office.
Speaking during a panel discussion on Joy Prime TV on July 18, 2026, Yakubu argued that any resistance to such a move would come from within the governing NDC rather than the opposition.
According to him, Asiedu Nketiah would firmly resist any effort by President Mahama to extend his stay in office beyond the constitutional two-term limit.
“If President Mahama decides to go for a third term, his biggest opposition will come from his own party. It will come from his own party because we have the national chairman, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, moving around for the past year… Asiedu Nketia will pipe it out,” he said.
Yakubu’s comments come as President Mahama has once again dismissed suggestions that he could seek a third term, insisting that Ghana’s Constitution is clear on presidential term limits.
The debate follows a suit filed at the Supreme Court by two individuals seeking an interpretation of Article 66(2) of the Constitution, which states that “a person shall not be elected to hold office as President of Ghana for more than two terms.”
The plaintiffs contend that serving two non-consecutive terms should not prevent a president from contesting for a third term.
Speaking during a visit to the Volta Region, President Mahama rejected that interpretation, maintaining that the constitutional provision leaves no room for doubt.
“Let me be very clear. The Constitution is not ambiguous. It is exactly what it says,” Mahama stated.
“I have read Article 66 over and over. A president is limited to two terms. Full stop. Those who have gone to the Supreme Court are free to do so. That is their right. But my position is clear and it will not change.”
He also said Ghanaians had entrusted him with one final mandate and that his focus remained on delivering on that responsibility rather than entertaining calls for another term.
“The people of Ghana gave me one additional term. My job is to work and deliver on that trust, not to look for a third term. The matter is settled,” he said.
The remarks represent President Mahama’s strongest response yet to the issue. He has previously stated that he has no interest in seeking a third term and has consistently maintained that Ghana’s democracy must be safeguarded by respecting constitutional term limits.
