NDC Cracks the Whip on Mahama Extension Rumours and 2028 Flagbearer Jostling
By Nelson Ayivor
The ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) has come out swinging against swirling rumours of a third-term bid for President John Dramani Mahama, with the party’s General Secretary, Fiifi Fiavi Kwetey, issuing a blunt and unambiguous message: “There will be no third term. Period.”
In a fiery post-election briefing that doubled as a warning shot to both constitutional revisionists and overzealous presidential hopefuls within the party, Kwetey declared that the NDC remains firmly anchored in Ghana’s democratic tradition and will not entertain any attempt to tamper with the two-term presidential limit enshrined in the 1992 Constitution.
“Ghana has been a model for democratic transition in sub-Saharan Africa,” Kwetey told reporters. “We must never encourage any disruption of our constitutional stipulations. The two-term limit is not up for negotiation.”
The statement comes amid growing speculation in political circles and on social media that some party insiders may be quietly testing the waters for a constitutional amendment to allow Mahama who returned to power in 2024 after a four-year hiatus to extend his stay beyond 2028.
But Kwetey was unequivocal: “President Mahama himself has shut down such talk. We will not allow any ambiguity. The NDC is not a party of third-term adventurists.”
Kwetey didn’t stop there. He turned his guns on party members already positioning themselves for the 2028 flagbearer slot, calling such moves “an insult” to the party and to Mahama.
“Barely a year into office, and some are already talking about succession? That’s not only premature it’s a distraction,” he fumed. “We haven’t even achieved 10% of our mandate. Our focus must be on delivering for the people, not chasing personal ambition.”
The NDC scribe’s comments are being read as a clear attempt to impose discipline within the party ranks and prevent internal jostling from derailing the administration’s “reset agenda” a term the party has used to describe its post-2024 governance strategy.
Kwetey also took aim at those who believe the NDC’s commanding parliamentary majority could be used to push through constitutional amendments for political convenience.
“Our majority is for national development, not for making one person happy,” he said. “We will not abuse our legislative strength to change the fundamental laws of the land.”
As Mahama’s government settles into its first year, the NDC leadership is clearly keen to stamp out any narrative that the President is a lame duck or that the party is already looking past him.
By drawing a hard line on both term limits and premature succession chatter, Kwetey’s message is as much about protecting Mahama’s legacy as it is about asserting control over the party’s internal dynamics.
With 2026 looming and the pressure to deliver mounting, the NDC is sending a clear signal: it’s time to govern, not to campaign.