The Tema Metropolitan Chief Executive has responded to calls requesting that former president John Dramani Mahama be disqualified from contesting the 2024 presidential elections, saying it is not necessary.

According to Yohane Amarh Ashitey, there is absolutely no need to disqualify John Mahama because he will be retired by Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia in December 2024.

“Though these calls for the former president to be removed from the ballot sounds far-fetched, it does make sense that every Ghanaian would want to be governed by a person of integrity. However, persons clamouring for this, need not worry because brilliant Dr. Bawumia will end Mahama’s political career in December.”

The Tema MCE made the bold prediction in a statement released on social media on Thursday.

According to him, Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia has proven himself a superior presidential material and will therefore easily beat John Mahama at the polls. It was in response to public appeal by Stephen Ashitey Adjei, alias Moshake, former constituency executive of the NDC in Tema East, to the Electoral Commission to remove Mr. Mahama from the 2024 presidential ballot over what Moshake said was the former president’s habitual lying, likewise a group at Kokofu in the Ashanti Region.

According to Moshake, the presidency is the highest office of the land and should therefore be occupied by a person of integrity, which John Mahama is not.

However, Hon. Yohane Amarh Ashitey points out that there is no specific law that the EC can use to disqualify Mr. Mahama over lies, except the lies apply to the details that he presented while filling out forms with the EC.

“Therefore, I do not think that under the circumstances, the EC can remove him from the ballot. But there is nothing to be afraid of because the Ghanaian voter is discerning enough to elect a president who is trustworthy. Come December, they will do just that.”

According to him, that discernment among Ghanaians is what has made the 24-hour economy promise by Mr. Mahama come under question marks in the estimation of the overwhelming majority of Ghanaians.

“It is the same discernment that made the Ghanaian voter reject Mr. Mahama twice in 2016 and 2020,” Hon. Yohane Amarh Ashitey wrote.