Alexander Kodwo Kom Abban, a private attorney has stated that the lawsuit brought up in opposition to former President John Dramani Mahama’s decision to compete for office in 2024 is already lost.
He averred that according to Ghanaian law, the former President is prohibited from performing any other work, but he is not prohibited from running for office again. In a conversation on June 14, he declared, “This case is dead on arrival.”
The Daily Searchlight’s managing editor, Kenneth Agyei Kuranchie, filed the lawsuit against former President John Dramani Mahama. The reliefs he is seeking include, “A declaration that on a true and proper interpretation of Article 66 (1) of the 1992 Constitution, the number of years of a presidential term in Ghana is four years.”
“A declaration that upon a true and proper interpretation of Article 66 (1) and (2) of the 1992 Constitution, a person seeking a second presidential term must be a sitting president. An order directed at [John Mahama] to fully disclose to Parliament the terms of his engagements with Parliament as flagbearer of a political party.”
Kenneth Kwabena Agyei Kuranchie
Ken Kuranchie Defends His Lawsuit Against Mahama’s Bid For President
The Daily Searchlight newspaper’s editor-in-chief, Kenneth Kwabena Agyei Kuranchie, defended his legal action against former President John Dramani Mahama by claiming that he is ineligible to run for office in the year 2024.
He claimed that in order to run for office, the former President needed Parliament’s endorsement.
“I am seeking about eight declarations, some of which are picked out of Article 68. Based on Article 68 (2) our former president becomes a ward of Parliament and needs to go to Parliament to seek its approval.”
Kenneth Kwabena Agyei Kuranchie
According to Mr. Kuranchie, the Supreme Court should rule that a President’s tenure is four years long and that even after leaving office, he or she remains an employee of the government.
He referred to the former President’s re-election campaign as “disparity,” which he explained to mean that “he has been president before, he is gone out of office, and believes that he is deserving of a certain term.”
“I am asking the Supreme Court to agree with me that the real presidential term is four years and not eight years as a lot of people believe. The Supreme Court of Ghana should agree with me that if you become a President of Ghana you do take a salary and that he continues to be in the employment of the state.”
Kenneth Kwabena Agyei Kuranchie
Mr. Kuranchie is asking for a ruling that Article 66 (1) of the 1992 Constitution, when properly and truthfully interpreted, plainly states that the length of a presidential term is four years.
Therefore, he seeks a declaration that on a true and proper interpretation of Article 66 (1) and (2) of the 1992 Constitution, a person seeking a second presidential term must be a sitting president. Joined to the suit are former President John Agyekum Kufuor and the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin.
According to Mr. Kuranchie’s request, the Speaker of Parliament must use and put into effect Article 68(2) of the 1992 Constitution. Additionally, he wants the court to stop John Dramani Mahama from pursuing his campaign for President and also asks the court to order Mr. Mahama to fully disclose to Parliament the length of his contract as the National Democratic Congress’s (NDC) flag bearer.
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