- Ghana’s government accepted a committee recommendation to extend the presidential term from four to five years
- Attorney General Dominic Ayine said Parliament’s term will also be extended to match the new presidential timeline
- A national referendum in 2027 will be required to pass the changes, with strict voter turnout and approval thresholds
Ghana’s government has accepted a recommendation to extend the presidential term from four to five years, Attorney General and Minister for Justice Dominic Ayine announced on Thursday, July 30, 2026.
Ayine said the term of Parliament will similarly be extended to align with the longer presidential cycle. President John Dramani Mahama established a constitutional review committee last year, and the government has now accepted several of its proposals.
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Why Ghana wants a longer Presidential term
The government’s justification centres on the practical realities of governing, Reuters reported.
“The early months of every administration are consumed by transition matters, and the final year is largely consumed by elections,” Ayine said.
Officials argued that a five-year term would give administrations meaningful time to implement policy without the entire period being squeezed by political transitions at either end.
The government also accepted, in principle, a proposal to reduce the minimum age for presidential candidates from the current 40 years.
However, it modified the committee’s suggestion, settling on 35 rather than the 30 the review body had proposed.
An additional change will shift presidential elections to the first week of November, creating a wider window between the vote and the January 7 inauguration date.
What happens next
A new committee will be set up to draft two amendment bills, both expected to be ready by October 2026. The bill dealing with term limits will then go through several legislative stages before being put to a national referendum in 2027.
For the referendum to succeed, at least 40% of registered voters must participate, and at least 75% of those who vote must support the change.
That threshold makes the outcome far from certain, and public debate on the proposals is expected to intensify in the months ahead.
Presidency: Atiku proposes 6-year single tenure
Previously, Legit.ng reported that Atiku Abubakar, a former vice president and the flagbearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 presidential election, wrote to the National Assembly. Atiku seeks six-year term for president.
According to reports making the rounds on Tuesday, October 1, Atiku requested an amendment to the Constitution, to allow for a six-year single term for the president and state governors.
Source: Legit.ng