BY Daniel Bampoe
The General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, has launched a blistering attack on individuals within and around the party who are openly canvassing for President John Dramani Mahama to seek a third term in office, describing their actions as dangerous, self-serving and fundamentally hostile to the party’s founding values.
Speaking at the 31st December Revolution Anniversary celebrations held in Ada in the Greater Accra Region, Fifi Kwetey warned what he described as a rising culture of sycophancy steadily infiltrating the party’s ranks.
According to him, a group of party activists and political actors have come to believe that blind praise of political leaders is the only way to secure relevance, appointments and material benefits.
He linked this behaviour directly to the growing calls for a “third-term plan” for President Mahama, dismissing the idea as “pure sycophancy and bootlicking of the highest order.”
Fifi Fiavi Kwetey insisted that those pushing the agenda are not motivated by love for the party or the country, but by personal ambition and fear of losing influence once Mahama leaves office.
Placing the debate in historical context, the NDC General Secretary invoked the legacy of the party’s founder, the late Jerry John Rawlings.
He noted that despite Rawlings’ towering influence and popularity, no one within the party ever urged him to pursue a third presidential term.
For Fifi Kwetey, that restraint was a reflection of the NDC’s ideological foundation, which prioritises collective struggle and institutional continuity over individual power.
“Caretakers may go, caretakers may come, but the revolution has come to stay,” he said, emphasizing that the NDC was never built around personalities.
He stressed that while President Mahama is serving the country to the best of his ability and deserves respect for his leadership, he must eventually exit office in accordance with constitutional limits.
Fifi Fiavi Kwetey’s remarks come amid intensifying national debate triggered largely by calls from Gomoa Central MP Kwame Asare Obeng, popularly known as A Plus, Kojo Adu Asare, former MP for Adentan and other some pastors.
They have publicly advocated for constitutional changes to allow Mahama to contest again, arguing that development outcomes should outweigh term limits.
A Plus has also vowed to “test the law” and mobilise public support to amend the 1992 Constitution.
These comments have sharply divided public opinion and deepened suspicions, particularly among opposition figures, that the NDC intends to use its commanding parliamentary majority to alter the Constitution.
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has repeatedly accused the government of harbouring a hidden third-term agenda, allegations the NDC leadership has consistently denied.
President Mahama himself has publicly stated that he has no intention of seeking a third term and remains committed to the two-term limit enshrined in Article 66 of the Constitution.
He has argued that stepping aside at the end of his tenure allows him to govern decisively without the pressures of re-election.
In Parliament, Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga has also rejected claims of any official third-term project, insisting that President Mahama has not indicated any desire to extend his stay in office.
While acknowledging that citizens ultimately hold sovereign power in a democracy, Mahama Ayariga cautioned that persistent accusations could unnecessarily inflame tensions and even introduce ideas that are not part of the party’s formal agenda.
Civil society organisations have since entered the fray. Anchoring Democracy Advocacy Movement Ghana (ADAM-GH), a pressure group align with the NDC has filed a writ at the Supreme Court seeking a definitive interpretation of the constitutional provisions on presidential term limits, warning that continued speculation threatens the democratic stability.
Despite the firm position taken by the party leadership, resistance remains at the grassroots.
In the Ashanti Region, a leading NDC member, Alhaji Yakubu, publicly lashed out at Kwetey in a radio interview, accusing him of insulting supporters who favour a third term and vowing to continue backing Mahama “today or tomorrow” for another mandate.
Fifi Kwetey’s uncompromising stance has now drawn clear battle lines within the NDC, framing the third-term debate not merely as a legal or political question, but as a moral and ideological test.
