The National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia, has clarified that the party has no plans to field President John Dramani Mahama for a third term, underscoring its commitment to Ghana’s constitutional provisions.
Addressing speculation about President Mahama’s political future and the party’s succession plans, Asiedu Nketia reiterated the NDC’s respect for constitutional term limits and democratic principles.
“We have never run our party in ways that conflict with the national constitution, and we don’t intend to do that. We will stick by the tenets of the Constitution,” he said.
His remarks come amid growing curiosity over who might succeed President Mahama at the end of his tenure in 2029, with several senior NDC figures—including Nketia himself—mentioned in succession discussions.
When asked about his own presidential ambitions, Nketia urged caution, stressing that premature declarations could distract from the government’s work.
“The party has not declared anything. I keep repeating my caution that we have to be very careful about the way we express our ambitions. Whoever succeeds President Mahama will ride on the achievements of the current government,” he said.
He warned that early jockeying for leadership could weaken the administration’s focus and affect the party’s electoral prospects.
“If you conduct yourself in ways that disrupt the activities of this government, making it less successful, then you have a bigger problem. President Mahama is only about eight months in office now, and you want to struggle to decide who will replace him—you know what it can cause,” he noted.
Commenting on recent rumours, Nketia acknowledged that several names—including his own—have been speculated but called for restraint among party leaders and members in strategic positions.
“If all of us decide today that, ‘Well, people say I can be president, so let me start organising,’ then everybody will be going across the country appointing campaign coordinators. How do you think President Mahama can focus on achieving anything?” he added.
