Teacher petitions Supreme Court over Mahama’s third-term eligibility.

Teacher petitions Supreme Court over Mahama’s third-term eligibility.

A Ghanaian citizen has filed a lawsuit at the Supreme Court seeking a constitutional interpretation that would allow an individual who has served two non-consecutive presidential terms to contest the office again.

The writ, filed on July 9, 2026, by Ganiwu Alhassan, a teacher from Kpandai, names the Attorney-General as the defendant. Represented by Kumasi-based solicitor Kwasi Afrifa Esq, the plaintiff challenges the conventional understanding of Article 66(2) of the 1992 Constitution, which mandates that a person cannot be elected to the office of President for more than two terms.

Alhassan’s legal team contends that this provision only prohibits a leader from serving consecutive terms, rather than imposing a permanent lifetime restriction on individuals whose tenure was interrupted. 

To substantiate this argument, the 34-page filing references constitutional clauses regarding presidential succession and cites extensive legal precedents, including Tuffuor v Attorney-General and Nartey v Attorney-General

The suit urges the court to view the Constitution as a dynamic document and declare any attempts to bar such candidates as unconstitutional. The Attorney-General has fourteen days to respond to the writ.

While the court deliberates on the matter, President John Dramani Mahama, who is currently serving his second, non-consecutive term, has repeatedly clarified, most recently in August 2025, that he has no intention of altering the constitution to pursue a third term.