Dr. Kojo Asante, a leading voice at Ghana's Centre for Democratic Development, has slammed the growing debate over presidential term limits, calling it a dangerous distraction from the country's real problems.
"We Have Enough Problems"
In a blunt Facebook post on Friday, July 10, Dr. Asante urged political leaders and ordinary Ghanaians to focus on pressing governance and development challenges instead of speculating about extending presidential tenure.
"Please, we have enough problems in this country to start speculation about third-term bids," he wrote. His message was simple and direct: "Two terms mean two terms."
The Warning From Across Africa
Dr. Asante did not just state an opinion — he pointed to blood on the continent. He warned that term elongation has proven costly in several African nations. He named them: Senegal, Guinea, Côte d'Ivoire, Togo, Benin, and Guinea Bissau. Some saw coups. Others saw constitutional crises. All paid a price.
Ghana, he implied, should not join that list.
What He Wants From President Mahama
Dr. Asante went further. He called on President John Dramani Mahama to shut down the speculation immediately — not tomorrow, not after court rulings, but right now.
"The President should not even wait for the fax paper to cool," he said. "He should make a clear and unequivocal statement that he is focused on completing his two terms and he will leave like all his predecessors — Rawlings, Kufuor, and Nana Addo."
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The reference to Ghana's past presidents who respected term limits is deliberate. It frames the issue not as legal technicality, but as democratic tradition.
The Supreme Court Context
Dr. Asante's comments come as the Supreme Court considers a suit by Ganiwu Alhassan, a teacher from Kpandai, asking whether a president who served two non-consecutive terms can run again. The case has reignited public debate despite the constitution's clear two-term limit.
The Bigger Picture
For Dr. Asante, this is about more than one president or one court case. It is about whether Ghana's democracy matures or slides backward. He believes the country's energy is better spent fixing the economy and strengthening governance — not opening doors that the constitution deliberately closed.
For Ghanaians, his message is a reminder: the rules that limit power are the same rules that protect freedom.
