Mahama’s decision to contest again makes election 2020 challenging - Majority Leader

Majority Leader in Parliament who doubles as the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu has admitted that former President John Dramani Mahama's decision to contest the presidency makes the 2020 general election a challenging one.

He explained that since independence, there has never been an election where a former President, in the immediate aftermath of an electoral defeat, preps himself up to re-contest the presidency, except for the 2020 general election.

Speaking on Okay FM’s 'Ade Akye Abia' Morning Show, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu noted that the former president is coming into the contest with unbridled aggression as he fears this may be his last chance to serve in the highest office of the land again.

“Again, what makes this election difficult is that we have never gone into any election where a former President who has lost an election is coming back to contest the Presidency. Since independence, this has never happened before, that a President who having been voted out, is put out to contest the next general elections...such a person comes with aggression and becomes tough because he knows that this election may be his last chance”.

He, however, pointed out that the aggressiveness of Mr Mahama to wrestle power from President Nana Akufo-Addo may not materialize as every government’s party since 1992 serves at least two terms before being voted out.

“Since 1992, at least every government’s party gets the second-term big before another party takes over. So, Rawlings and Kufuor had their second-terms and when Mills and the NDC came into power, it was Mills’ unfortunate death that made his then Vice President John Mahama continue, because Mills intended to contest for his second term in government. President Mahama succeeded him to complete the second-term for the NDC,” he emphasized.

Due to this long tradition since 1992 of every government’s party going for the second term in office, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is also eager to go for his second term in office.

“So, no political party since 1992 has been in power for one-term, and for that matter, President Akufo-Addo is also eager to go for his second term in office,” he pontificated.