Mahama to Miss Out as Ghana Approves Proposal for Five-Year Presidential Term

Ghana has accepted a proposal to extend the presidential term from four years to five years and reduce the minimum age for presidential candidates from 40 to 35 years as part of ongoing constitutional reform efforts.

The recommendations emerged from a review of the country’s 1992 Constitution by a committee established last year by President John Mahama.

However, the proposed reforms will not benefit the incumbent president.

Minister for Government Communications, Felix Ofosu, clarified on Thursday that the constitutional amendment, if eventually approved, would only apply to future presidents.

Earlier, Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Dominic Ayine, announced that the government had accepted the committee’s recommendation, describing the proposal as necessary to provide future administrations with more time to implement their policies before returning to the electorate.

According to Ayine, the current four-year tenure leaves governments with limited time to execute development programmes because transition activities consume the early part of every administration, while preparations for the next election dominate the final years.

He argued that extending the presidential tenure to five years would create a more practical governance cycle, allowing governments to focus on long-term planning, policy implementation and measurable results.

The government also accepted a recommendation to extend the tenure of Parliament to align with the proposed five-year presidential term.

Another recommendation endorsed by the government seeks to move Ghana’s presidential election to the first week of November instead of the current schedule.

Officials said the adjustment would provide a wider transition period before the inauguration of a new president on January 7, reducing pressure on electoral institutions and incoming administrations.

Despite the government’s approval, the proposals must undergo several legislative and constitutional processes before becoming law.

The bill on the revised presidential tenure is expected to pass through Parliament before being presented to Ghanaians in a national referendum scheduled for 2027.

Under Ghana’s constitutional requirements, the amendment can only be adopted if at least 40 per cent of registered voters participate in the referendum.

In addition, at least 75 per cent of those who vote must support the proposed changes for the amendment to take effect.

If approved by voters, the reforms will reshape Ghana’s electoral calendar and governance structure but will not alter the tenure of President Mahama, whose current administration will remain subject to the existing constitutional provisions.