The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has filed a writ at the Supreme Court seeking an interpretation of the constitutional provisions limiting the number of terms a person may serve as President of Ghana.
The party is asking the court to declare that the two-term limit under the 1992 Constitution applies to both consecutive and non-consecutive terms, and that a person cannot be elected President more than twice.
The writ, dated July 30, 2026, names the Attorney-General as the defendant and invokes the original jurisdiction of the Supreme Court under Articles 2 (1) and 130 (1) of the Constitution.
Two terms
In its writ, the NPP is seeking a declaration that the phrase “two terms” in Articles 58 (2) and 66 (1), (2) and (3) (a) of the Constitution means a maximum of two terms, whether served consecutively or non-consecutively.
It is also asking the court to declare that a person elected President cannot hold the office for more than two four-year terms, amounting to eight years in total, regardless of whether the terms follow each other or are separated by another person’s presidency.
The party further wants the court to declare that a person who has previously served one term as President is eligible to serve for only one additional term, whether the earlier term immediately preceded the election being contested or was followed by the tenure of another President.
Vice-President's eligibility
The NPP is also seeking an interpretation of the constitutional provisions governing a Vice-President who assumes the office of President for more than half of the unexpired term of a predecessor.
It wants the court to declare that such a person is eligible to contest a presidential election for only one term, whether the election is held before the end of the unexpired term of the predecessor or at a subsequent election.
The party is relying on Articles 58 (2), 60 (6) and (7), 63 (2), and 66 (1), (2) and (3) (a) in seeking the various declarations.
Party's arguments
In its statement of case, the NPP says it is invoking the court's original jurisdiction in what it considers an urgent need to protect the fundamental principles underpinning the Constitution and preserve the peace of the country.
The party describes itself as a major stakeholder in the country’s democracy, citing its participation in all presidential elections held under the 1992 Constitution and its record of contributing to the country's constitutional jurisprudence through cases brought before the Supreme Court.
It argues that the constitutional limit on presidential terms must be interpreted to apply to the total number of terms served rather than only to consecutive terms.
The statement of case says allowing a person who has already served one term to serve two additional terms after a break in office would undermine the intended limit.
The NPP contends that an interpretation permitting such an outcome would require words to be inserted into the Constitution that are not contained in the relevant provisions.
The party states that it is seeking the Supreme Court's intervention to clarify the constitutional position and prevent what it considers a departure from the principles of constitutionalism and the rule of law.
The NPP is asking the court to grant the declarations sought in the writ and make any other orders it considers appropriate.
Court process
The writ commands the Attorney-General to file a statement of the defendant's case within 14 days after service of the plaintiff's statement of case, inclusive of the day of service.
The suit is being brought against the Attorney-General, whose office is at the Ministry of Justice in Accra.
The Supreme Court is yet to determine the reliefs sought by the NPP.
