Minister of State for Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, has accused the New Patriotic Party (NPP) of deliberately using the debate over President John Dramani Mahama’s possible third term to frighten voters during the 2024 general election campaign.
He described the controversy as part of the opposition party’s longstanding political strategy of scaremongering to influence electoral outcomes.
Speaking on TV3’s The Key Points on Saturday, October 31, 2026, Mr Kwakye Ofosu argued that the NPP introduced the third-term debate when it became apparent that its presidential candidate, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, is struggling to convince voters ahead of the 2024 elections.
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According to him, the controversy was intended to discourage Ghanaians from voting for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate, John Dramani Mahama, by creating the impression that he would seek to remain in office beyond the constitutionally permitted two terms.
He maintained that there has been no concrete development to suggest that President Mahama intends to pursue an additional presidential term.
The Minister argued that comments by individuals on social media advocating a third term for the President should not be interpreted as government policy or evidence of an intention to alter the constitutional arrangement.
“There’s nothing that has happened in this republic that suggests even remotely that President Mahama or anybody wants a third term,” he said, dismissing the controversy as political speculation.
Mr Kwakye Ofosu cited the NPP’s campaigns during the 2008 and 2020 elections as examples of what he described as similar scaremongering tactics.
He recalled that during the 2008 campaign, the party sponsored advertisements suggesting that former President Jerry John Rawlings would exercise control if the late Professor John Evans Atta Mills became President.
He also referred to claims during the 2020 election campaign that an NDC victory would lead to the cancellation of the Free Senior High School policy.
The Minister argued that the third-term debate follows a similar pattern, insisting that the NPP is seeking to divert attention from its record in government and the issues confronting the party.
He maintained that Ghana’s constitutional processes provide clear procedures for presidential tenure and that speculative political commentary should not be confused with actual attempts to extend a president’s stay in office.
Fellx Kwakye insists that the third-term debate controversy is being sustained for political purposes rather than in response to any concrete move by President Mahama to seek another term.