Mahama can’t contest 2020 polls — Wontumi

Daniel Kenu Dec - 11 - 2018 , 07:43

The Ashanti Regional Chairman of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, is urging the Electoral Commission (EC) and the Supreme Court to declare former president, John Dramani Mahama, ineligible to contest the 2020 presidential election because it will be in violation of Article 66 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana.

He told the Daily Graphic in Kumasi last Sunday that since Mr Mahama completed the term for the late former President, John Evans Atta Mills, and successfully completed his personal term of four years, he was deemed to have completed his tenure and, therefore, could not run for the same office again.

He is, therefore, calling on the Supreme Court to give interpretation to Article 66 of the Constitution to put the matter to rest.

The regional chairman fondly referred to as ‘Wontumi’ has, therefore, petitioned Parliament, the Judiciary and former President Jerry John Rawlings to bring pressure to bear on Mr Mahama to desist from contesting in the next election on the ticket of any political party, including the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

Petition

The petition states among others that: "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."

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

Chairman Wontumi called on the Supreme Court to, as a matter of urgency, interpret Article 66 (3b) to end the debate.

"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," the petition said.

Article 66

Indeed, Article 66 of the 1992 Constitution states among others 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 said it would be wrong for Mr Mahama to continue to enjoy the privileges of a former president and still contest for that same office.