The Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has stated that while President John Dramani Mahama has expressed his disinterest in pursuing a third term, numerous members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) are advocating for that agenda.
Afenyo-Markin urged President Mahama to communicate to those NDC members that he is not interested, and therefore, they should cease their efforts.
“Mr. President, we are aware that many of your party members wish to promote the agenda for a third term. Please inform them of your disinterest and remind them. It is not feasible,” Afenyo-Markin remarked during a press conference in Accra on Monday, January 26.
Previously, the CEO of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Godwin Edudzi Tameklo, noted that President John Dramani Mahama had already articulated his stance on the third term discussion and has effectively closed the matter by stating he has no interest in it.
Edudzi Tameklo emphasized that President Mahama will not deviate from his decision.
“The leader has already made his position clear on this issue. He is not indecisive; his affirmations are firm, and his refusals are definitive. He is quite astute in this regard, recognizing that as human beings, there will be those who present this perspective, so he must address the calls for this from the outset,” he stated in an interview on Saturday, January 3.
His remarks followed criticism from the General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, directed at party members urging President John Dramani Mahama to pursue a third term in office, labeling such calls as self-serving and motivated by personal political ambitions.
During the 44th Anniversary celebration of the 31st December Revolution on Wednesday, December 31, Mr. Kwetey remarked that these demands do not signify a true commitment to the principles of the NDC but rather indicate an increase in sycophancy within the party.
He encouraged party members to prioritize unity, principles, and national interests over personal benefits, emphasizing that excessive flattery undermines the fundamental values of the party.
“It brings me great sorrow to witness the increasing presence of sycophancy within our party. Certain individuals appear to think that extolling the virtues of a leader is the sole means of ensuring their political survival. This is the reason behind the calls for a so-called third term. Such demands are nothing more than blatant sycophancy and obsequiousness of the highest degree,” he stated.
Mr. Kwetey reminisced that the late former President Jerry John Rawlings, the founder of the NDC, was never coerced into pursuing a third term, emphasizing that the current demands reflect a disloyalty to both the party and the nation.
“If you genuinely care for this country and this party, you would refrain from participating in such sycophantic behavior. These individuals are under the impression that flattery will secure them advantages, but that is not the principle upon which the NDC is founded,” he concluded.
