The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has rejected claims by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) National Chairman, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, that the party manufactured the debate over President John Mahama’s eligibility to seek a third term.

The NPP Director of Communications, Richard Ahiagbah, speaking on Joy FM’s Top Story on Wednesday, August 5, questioned why the party should be blamed for a matter that is currently before the Supreme Court for constitutional interpretation.

According to him, the issue arose from the need to clarify whether Ghana’s constitutional provision on presidential term limits applies only to consecutive terms or also covers non-consecutive terms.

“You should ask Chairman Asiedu Nketiah what he means by that. I don't understand what he means by that. I don't know what he means by that. That it's a creation of the New Patriotic Party,” he said.

He argued that the NPP cannot be held responsible for seeking clarity on a constitutional matter, stressing that the Constitution belongs to all Ghanaians and not any political party.

“Are we the ones who have taken the case to the Supreme Court for interpretation of a non-consecutive two terms?” he questioned.

The NPP Director of Communications said the discussion was a serious constitutional matter that required clarity, rather than political commentary.

He explained that the key question was whether a president who serves two terms separated by a break in office could be eligible to serve again, adding that any interpretation from the Supreme Court would have implications for Ghana’s democracy.

“There is a need to understand whether two terms means that you go consecutively, or when there's a break, it is a one term, and then you can go consecutively two terms,” he said.

He further insisted that the party’s concerns were not driven by political interests but by the need to protect the integrity of the constitutional order.

According to him, if the Supreme Court determines that non-consecutive terms should be counted differently, it would raise questions about who stands to benefit from such an interpretation.

“When they are telling you this thing that NPP is pushing this conversation, you should ask yourself if you are not concerned about that,” he said.

His comments follow remarks by Johnson Asiedu Nketia suggesting that the NPP introduced the President Mahama third-term debate to create confusion within the NDC.

The NPP Director of Communications maintained that the matter should not be treated lightly, insisting that constitutional issues require serious national attention.