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General News of Tuesday, 16 July 2013

Source: TV3 News

Akufo-Addo to serve Mahama’s remaining term if…

Former Majority Leader and Member of Parliament for Zebilla (Bawku West) Constituency Cletus Apul Avoka says “in the unlikely event” that Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is declared winner of the 2012 Presidential Elections as a result of winning the election petition currently in court, he will not serve four years in office, as the 1992 Constitution mandates for presidents.

Nana Addo, according to Mr Avoka, will continue where President Mahama might left off.

He was speaking to TV3’s Sandra Esinam Afenu on the sidelines of a workshop organized by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) over the weekend.

“In an unlikely event that he [President John Mahama] is adjudged to have lost the election and then [Nana Addo] had won the election and that fellow had to be sworn in…the constitution is very clear, he will continue from where Mahama had left.

“There will be no transition again. He will just be sworn in and then he will continue from the number of years left for the expiry period of John Mahama,” said the former minister of interior.

He, however, indicated that the implications are part of deliberations at the workshop by IEA.

“They are suggesting that we have to make some provisions along the line that in the event [like that] the [new] president, in fairness to him, must be given four years,” he stated.

“It is a constitutional matter and we have to look at it as a nation,” Mr Avoka proposed.

President Mahama has already served six months in office as president, but his presidency is being challenged by three persons – Nana Akufo Addo, Jake Obetsebi Lamptey and Dr Mahamudu Bawumia.