Hon. Kwame Asare Obeng, popularly known as Kwame A Plus, the Member of Parliament for Gomoa Central, has rejected claims that he is campaigning for a third presidential term for President John Dramani Mahama, saying instead that he is advocating for the removal of term limits altogether.
Speaking in an interview, A Plus said his position had been widely misunderstood. “I have never called for a third term for His Excellency President Mahama,” he said. “I have called for an end to term limits.”
The outspoken legislator questioned whether Ghana’s current democratic model, particularly the two-term presidential limit, has delivered development. He challenged critics to name a country that developed under what he described as “this kind of democracy,” arguing that many advanced nations adopted term limits only after achieving industrialisation.
Citing the United States, A Plus noted that presidential term limits were introduced only in 1951 with the 22nd Amendment. “America never had term limits until then,” he said, arguing that continuity of leadership, rather than frequent political change, was critical to development.
While stressing that his argument was not personal to Mahama, A Plus said he would not oppose the president contesting again if it were legally permissible. He added that the law itself should be tested. “Anybody who prevents people from testing the law is lawless,” he said, hinting at possible legal and political actions, including mass demonstrations, to push for constitutional change.
A Plus was critical of opposition from within the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), including comments by General Secretary Fifi Fiavi Kwetey. He dismissed accusations of sycophancy and argued that Ghana’s lack of sustained development was partly due to frequent leadership changes, comparing the country’s experience under former President Jerry Rawlings with the rapid transformation of Dubai over a similar period.
According to him, the two-term limit removes incentives for presidents to perform strongly in their second term. “Since 1992, has there been one government that performed better in the second term?” he asked. “There is no incentive to perform because they know they are leaving.”
Instead of extending presidential terms, A Plus proposed retaining four-year terms but allowing leaders to seek re-election indefinitely, subject to voter approval. He argued that this would force presidents to consistently deliver results. “Let them come back to us and beg us for votes,” he said. “They will perform.”
He also criticised recommendations by the Constitutional Review Committee to extend the length of presidential terms, saying he had assumed the review process would consider removing term limits instead. While praising the committee’s work overall, he said he was not invited to make submissions.
In some of his most controversial remarks, A Plus questioned universal participation in Ghana’s electoral process, arguing that not everyone should have a say in governance. He suggested a more selective system of leadership and accountability, drawing comparisons with China, and claimed Ghana’s current democratic structure was ill-suited to its stage of development.
Despite the controversy, A Plus insisted his views were motivated by a desire to see Ghana develop. “Anybody who wants Ghana to develop must understand that this democracy we are practising will never work,” he said, adding that voters ultimately retain the power to remove leaders they dislike at the polls.
His comments are likely to reignite debate over constitutional reform, term limits and the future of Ghana’s democratic system.