A former National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Freddie Blay, has suggested that he would not have any objection if the presidential term limit was lifted, allowing a candidate to seek more terms.
In a video shared on TikTok, while speaking in a recent interview with Oyerepa TV’s Kwesi Parker-Wilson, Blay clarified that such a decision would lie solely with Ghanaian voters, who must decide whether they want the two-term limit prolonged.
According to him, this can be successfully achieved through democracy, which the country already prides itself on.
“… In Africa, lots of individual Heads of State have exploited the situation where there is no limitation as to whether you could be in power for two years, or for two terms, or not, and maybe decide to stay for 40 years, 30 years, and so on and so forth.
“I’m saying if there’s democracy, the ground is leveled. If it is fair, and then people in this country decide to vote for somebody for two terms, three terms or four terms, I Freddie Blay, don’t have any problem. Indeed, at the end of the day, I don’t mind if it can be taken off. That’s my position,” he said.
The politician cited examples of countries without restrictions on presidential term limits, asserting that these systems have operated without major issues.
“What we are used to since 1992 had been the American, and the Nigerian example, whereas I can’t fathom, but in a place like UK, Germany, Italy, and many other African countries, there are no limits as to what term you could stay if you want to but it depends on the people of this country.
“… Left to me, I will have it. If they decap it, I don’t have any strong opinion on that. If they decap it, so be it. That’s what I’m saying,” he emphasised.
Sharing his views on the public debate surrounding whether President John Dramani Mahama should seek another term despite the constitutional term limit, Freddie Blay said he remains unperturbed.
He argued that while the courts may interpret the constitution to clarify the two-term provision, it is ultimately the Ghanaian electorate who will decide through their votes.
“I’m not at all worried. It’s not the court system or the judiciary that would bring an individual or a party into power. I’m saying if the court interprets for an individual, and I don’t want to make it about John Mahama, since he’s an individual (sic). He’s the president now. At the moment, based on the constitution article 66 (1) and (2), which states clearly that a president shall have a term of four years and cannot go for two terms. Its interpretation is there. It’s very clear but for more than two terms, you could go further as more than two terms could be that consecutively.
“The law is in the bosom of the judges. If it goes to the, for example, Supreme Court, which has the exclusive tradition to interpret the law of the constitution. Not just the law, but the law and in this case the constitution. If that body decides that more than two terms mean consecutively, in this case, he has gone and come back after eight years. As to whether that is consecutive or it is two terms, where you can look at it from that, it’s subject to a lot of interpretation depending on how you are looking at it. If the law court says so, me, Freddie Blay, I don’t have any problem with that.”
Blay concluded; “It’s not the law courts that vote for a president. The individuals who constitute a panel, who may look at a case, who are sitting on the case, have only one vote each. It’s the people of this country who will vote. If they decide on that, if John Mahama, in this case, seeks another term and his party decides to fill him, I don’t have any problem with that.”
Watch the video below:
@focusparker “Remove the two-term limit for presidents and allow them to run for office as many times as they wish.”- NPP former National chairman Freddie Blay recommends. #nppghana #ndc #supremecourt #johnmahama #nppndc #tiktokpolitics #focus ♬ original sound – #focus
MAG/AE
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