NPP’s Ken Kuranchie Heads to Supreme Court to Seek Third-Term Presidency for Mahama
- Kenneth Kuranchie filed a writ at the Supreme Court on June 30, 2026, challenging Ghana's presidential term limit
- The veteran journalist argued that Article 66(2) of the 1992 Constitution only prevented two terms if served consecutively
- If the court rules in his favour, President John Dramani Mahama could become eligible to contest a third presidential term
Ghana’s top stories, now easier to find. Discover our new search feature!
Veteran journalist, lawyer and former New Patriotic Party parliamentary aspirant Kenneth Kuranchie has taken Ghana's presidential term limit question to the Supreme Court, filing a writ on June 30, 2026, against Attorney-General Dominic Ayine.
The suit has challenged the conventional reading of Article 66(2) of the 1992 Constitution, which is widely understood to cap any individual's presidential service at two terms regardless of whether the terms were served consecutively or not.
Source: UGC
Kuranchie's legal argument on Ghana's presidential term limit
According to a report by GhanaWeb, Kuranchie's position is that the two-term ceiling should apply exclusively to back-to-back terms.
He contends that a substantial break, specifically one full four-year electoral cycle, effectively resets a former president's eligibility to seek office again.
Kuranchie is requesting three separate declarations from the apex court.
In the first, he seeks confirmation that, on a proper reading of Articles 66(2), 246(2), 1(1), 35(1) and 42 of the 1992 Constitution:
"The two-term presidential limit in Article 66(2) is properly construed as imposing a prohibition on election to the office of President of Ghana only upon the completion of two consecutive terms of four years each."
His second declaration asks the court to affirm that 'a substantial break of one four-year electoral cycle of elected presidential service resets the eligibility count.'
The third declaration mirrors the first in substance, seeking formal confirmation that 'the prohibition in Article 66(2) is not engaged until a person has been elected to and has served two consecutive elected terms of four years each.'
What Kuranchie's suit means for President Mahama
The case carries significant political implications.
President John Dramani Mahama served as president from 2009 to 2017 before losing the 2016 election to Nana Akufo-Addo.
He returned to office in January 2025 following his victory in the 2024 general election.
Under the current mainstream interpretation of the constitution, Mahama's second stint in office would constitute his second and final term, barring him from seeking re-election.
If Kuranchie's argument prevails, however, the logic would be that Mahama's two terms were not consecutive due to the intervening Akufo-Addo presidency, and his eligibility count would reset accordingly.
Mahama shuts down third-term presidency calls
YEN.com.gh reported previously that President John Mahama had dismissed suggestions that he intends to pursue a third term at the helm, reaffirming his commitment to step down after his current tenure ends.
The NDC leadership also rejected claims of any legal or political efforts to extend his stay in office beyond constitutional limits, with the party’s Council of Elders ordering a halt to any premature campaign efforts.
Proofreading by Bruce Douglas, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.
Source: YEN.com.gh
