By Frank Amponsah
Former President John Dramani Mahama’s bid for another taste of the presidency seems to be hitting rough patches as the issue of his eligibility continue to pop up for discussion.
This time, the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party, Bernard Antwi-Boasiako is challenging former President Mahama with an interesting argument, that since the inception of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana, the law spells out clearly the number of years a person elected as President could stay in office.
In an open letter to Parliament, the Judiciary, former President Jerry Rawlings, Mr. Bernard Antwi-Boasiako stated that per the explanations given in the 1992 Constitution, former President Mahama could not represent the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in any national election again.
Citing Article 66 of the 1992 Constitution, Mr. Bernard Antwi-Boasiako explained that the state could not continue to spend money on all former Presidents for “only one (John Mahama) to nicodemously sneak out and come and contest an election on a the ticket of a political party in 2020”.
According to Article 66 of the 1992 Constitution states, “(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. (3) The office of President shall become vacant – (a) on the expiration of the period specified in clause (1) of this article; or (b) if the incumbent dies or resigns from office or ceases to hold office under article 69 of this Constitution and (4) The President may, by writing signed by him, and addressed to the Speaker of Parliament, resign from his office as President.”
Basing his argument on the content of the Constitution, Mr. Bernard Antwi-Boasiako believes that since the constitution directs Ghanaians on how to treat all former Presidents of which Mr. John Mahama is part., the privileges he enjoys could not be stopped.
