Ghana to implement five-year presidential term

Ghana has commenced the process to implement a proposal to extend the ​West African nation’s presidential term from four to five years​.

The development followed a review of the 1992 constitution by a committee appointed in 2025 by President John Dramani Mahama.

Attorney General and Minister for Justice ⁠Dominic Ayine explained that the five-year tenure would give administrations more time to govern.

The official said “transition matters” consume the early months of every administration, while the final year is mostly consumed by elections.

​The constitutional review also proposes the extension of Parliament’s tenure to ​five years​, as well as a new age limit for presidential ‌candidates​.

​The government accepted in principle the commission’s recommendation to lower the minimum age threshold to 35 years, from the current 40.

Furthermore, presidential elections will be held in the first week of November to allow sufficient time between elections and the January 7 inauguration.

A committee will be set up to draft an amendment bill on term limits. Expected in about three months, the bill will be presented to the legislature for deliberations.

It will then go to a national referendum ⁠in 2027, where 75 percent of the half of registered voters must approve a change to the presidential and legislative limits.