The Ghanaian government has begun the process of extending the tenure of its president from four years to five years as part of a wide-ranging constitutional reform aimed at improving governance and strengthening the country’s democratic system.
The proposal, which also seeks to extend the tenure of Parliament from four years to five years, lower the minimum age for presidential candidates and adjust the country’s election calendar, is expected to undergo legislative approval before being presented to Ghanaians in a national referendum in 2027.
The proposed reforms follow a comprehensive review of Ghana’s 1992 Constitution by a constitutional review committee established in 2025 by President John Dramani Mahama.
The committee was tasked with examining areas of the Constitution that could be updated to meet the country’s changing political and governance needs after more than three decades of democratic rule.
Speaking on the proposed amendments, Ghana’s Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dominic Ayine, said extending the presidential tenure to five years would allow elected governments to focus more on governance and less on political campaigns.
According to him, every administration loses valuable time during the transition period after assuming office, while the final year of the four-year tenure is largely dominated by election activities.
He explained that the current arrangement leaves governments with a relatively short period to fully implement their development programmes before political campaigns begin.
Ayine said increasing the tenure by one year would provide administrations with greater stability and sufficient time to complete major projects and policy reforms.
He added that the recommendation formed part of broader proposals aimed at improving governance and ensuring continuity in government programmes.
The constitutional review committee also recommended extending the tenure of members of Parliament from four years to five years.
Supporters of the proposal argue that synchronising the tenure of the executive and legislature would provide greater policy consistency and reduce the frequency of elections.
Another major recommendation is to reduce the minimum age for anyone seeking election as Ghana’s president.
The government has accepted in principle the proposal to lower the minimum age requirement from 40 years to 35 years.
If approved, the amendment would allow younger Ghanaians to contest the country’s highest political office while maintaining other constitutional requirements for eligibility.
The constitutional review also recommends changing the country’s election timetable.
Under the proposal, presidential elections would no longer hold in December as currently practised but would instead take place during the first week of November.
Officials say the adjustment would create a longer transition period between the declaration of election results and the swearing-in of a new president on January 7.
The government believes the additional time would make it easier to resolve election-related disputes, complete transition arrangements and ensure a smoother transfer of power.
To move the process forward, the Ghanaian government plans to establish a committee that will prepare a constitutional amendment bill incorporating the proposed changes.
The committee is expected to complete its work within the next three months before forwarding the bill to Parliament for debate and consideration.
If approved by lawmakers, the proposed amendments affecting presidential and parliamentary tenure will not become law immediately.
Under Ghana’s Constitution, changes to entrenched constitutional provisions must be approved through a national referendum.
For the referendum to succeed, at least 40 per cent of registered voters must participate, and at least 75 per cent of those who vote must support the proposed amendments.
The referendum is expected to take place in 2027.
Some supporters believe a five-year tenure would allow governments to plan and implement long-term development projects more effectively.
They argue that large infrastructure projects, economic reforms and social programmes often require more than four years to produce measurable results.
According to them, extending the tenure could reduce the pressure on governments to focus on short-term political gains ahead of elections.
However, critics may argue that longer terms could reduce the frequency with which citizens are able to hold elected leaders accountable through the ballot box.
Such debates have taken place in several African countries whenever constitutional amendments affecting presidential tenure have been proposed.
Unlike proposals that seek to remove or extend term limits beyond the constitutionally permitted number of terms, Ghana’s proposal does not seek to increase the maximum number of terms a president can serve.
Instead, it focuses on increasing the length of each term from four years to five years while maintaining constitutional safeguards on democratic governance.
Ghana has long been regarded as one of Africa’s most stable democracies.
Since returning to constitutional rule in 1992, the country has conducted several peaceful elections and witnessed multiple transfers of power between rival political parties.
The country’s democratic institutions have earned praise across Africa for their independence and commitment to constitutional governance.
President John Dramani Mahama returned to office after winning the country’s most recent presidential election and subsequently established the constitutional review committee to examine areas requiring reform.
The committee consulted stakeholders from different sectors before presenting its recommendations to the government.
The proposed reforms are expected to dominate political discussions in Ghana over the coming months as lawmakers, political parties, legal experts and civil society groups examine their implications.
For Nigeria and other West African countries, developments in Ghana’s constitutional reform process will be closely watched because of the country’s reputation as one of the region’s leading democracies.
Should the proposals eventually receive parliamentary approval and secure the required support at the 2027 referendum, Ghana will join a number of countries where elected presidents and legislators serve five-year terms instead of four.
Until then, the proposals remain subject to public debate, legislative scrutiny and the approval of Ghanaian voters through a constitutionally required referendum, which will determine whether the country’s presidential and parliamentary tenure should officially be extended.