The General Secretary of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, has firmly rejected calls for President John Dramani Mahama to seek a third term in office, describing such proposals as driven by sycophancy.
Speaking on Channel One TV’s Face to Face programme on Monday, December 16, Kwetey stated, “I think it is sycophancy, it is boot-licking of the highest order. It saddens me when I see so much sycophancy in our party. Some people seem to think that that is how you can survive as a politician, by praising somebody”.
He emphasized that President Mahama has never shown interest in pursuing a third term. “If you truly love this country and your party, you will not be engaging in that kind of sycophancy,” Kwetey said.
President Mahama, who won the December 2024 elections and was inaugurated in January 2025, is constitutionally limited to two terms under Ghana’s 1992 Constitution. This marks his second term as president, having previously served from 2012 to 2017. Any attempt to extend his tenure beyond two terms would require constitutional amendments.
Kwetey drew comparisons with the party’s founder, former President Jerry John Rawlings, noting that Rawlings was never pressured by party loyalists to pursue a third term despite his popularity. “The calls we are hearing today betray a lack of loyalty to both the party and the country,” he stated.
The comments come amid growing debate within the NDC over leadership succession and party discipline as attention gradually shifts to governance priorities and future leadership transitions.
Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has warned that his caucus will block any attempt to introduce a third presidential term. Speaking at the close of Parliament’s third meeting, Afenyo-Markin accused the government of potentially exploring what he described as creative constitutional interpretation to extend executive power beyond its lawful limits.
“There will be no third term by stealth,” Afenyo-Markin said. “Not on our watch”.
Kwetey warned that excessive praise singing undermines internal democracy and weakens public trust in the party. “These are people who believe praise will earn them opportunities, but that is not what the NDC stands for,” he said.
The NDC General Secretary’s firm stance against third term discussions signals the party leadership’s commitment to constitutional governance and democratic succession, even as President Mahama begins his second term in office.
Ghana’s Constitution explicitly limits presidents to two four year terms, a provision introduced after the 1992 transition to constitutional rule. The limit has been respected by all presidents since the Fourth Republic began, with no successful attempts to amend this fundamental constitutional safeguard.
