The Director of Legal Affairs for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) says the party is not bothered about the lawsuit filed at the Supreme Court to stop former President John Mahama from contesting 2024 elections.

Mr. Abraham Amaliba said the party is focused on the Assin North by-election scheduled for June 27 and no way worried about the lawsuit he describes as “frivolous in nature”.

Speaking to Bridget Otoo on News Night on Metro TV on Tuesday, June 13, Mr. Amaliba noted that John Mahama is eligible to contest in the 2024 elections and that the lawsuit is a diversionary tactics.

“Where in the [1992] Constitution that says the former president cannot stand?” he quizzed.

“Nothing. Absolutely, nothing stops the former president from contesting in the 2024 elections,” Mr. Amaliba noted.

In Amaliba’s view, the lawsuit challenging the eligibility of Mahama to run for office is a legal “gymnastics” and “somersaults”.

He insists that “The country is under a tense economic hardships. You have called me and aren’t we talking about that and leaving the economy to suffer?”

“Can you see the diversion there?” the veteran journalist continued “Bad governance is a lot of this administration. The only way they can have people’s mind swerve from the bad governance is to put up such suits which in my view are frivolous in nature.”

Background

The editor-in-chief of the Daily Searchlight. Kenneth Kwabena Agyei Kuranchie has petitioned the Supreme Court to declare that former President John Dramani Mahama is ineligible to run for re-election in 2024.

Among other reliefs, Mr. Kuranchie is asking for a declaration that, upon true and proper interpretation of Article 66 (1) of the 1992 Constitution, it is clear that a presidential term must be four years.

A declaration that, according to a true and proper reading of Articles 66 (1) and (2) of the 1992 Constitution, a candidate for a second presidential term must be the current president.

A declaration that, according to a true and proper interpretation of Article 62 of the 1992 Constitution, a former President of Ghana is unable to run for President of Ghana.

Former President John Agyekum Kufuor and Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin have joined the suit.

The veteran journalist requests that the court direct the Speaker of Parliament to invoke and implement Article 68 (2) of the 1992 Constitution.

He also asks the court to stop Mr. Mahama from running for president.

He further asks the court to order Mr. Mahama to fully disclose to Parliament the terms of his participation as a National Democratic Congress (NDC) flagbearer.