The National Organizer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Henry Nana Boakye, has stated that it is impossible for former president John Dramani Mahama to become the President of Ghana for a third time.

According to him, it is considered a curse for an individual to hold the “state sword” three times, and Ghanaians should not accept Mahama’s bid for re-election based on this belief.

Speaking in an interview with Okay FM on May 15, 2023, he highlighted the historical precedence of Ghana’s presidential terms to support his claim.

He stated, “Have you ever seen a sitting president who has been removed, and that person becoming a president again? No, it has never happened. And when you check from 1992, the state sword is held twice as a sitting individual to take the oath. It is a curse for someone to hold it three times, and excuse me to say that you can’t bring your ‘curse’ for Ghanaians to accept you, no, that will never happen.”

The “state sword” is a symbol of presidential power or authority. The president-elect holds the sword while reciting the presidential oath.

John Mahama first held the sword in 2012 when he took over from his late boss, John Evans Atta Mills. He went on to serve as president from 2012 to 2016, before losing to Akufo-Addo in the 2016 presidential election. He unsuccessfully ran against Akufo-Addo again in the 2020 election but has been re-elected as flagbearer of the NDC to lead the party into the 2024 election.