Extension of presidential term approved by Ghanian government

A proposal to extend the presidential term from four to five years has been approved by the Ghanian government, Africanews and agencies report on July 30^th.

Alongside the extension, a proposal to extend Parliament’s tenure to match the new 5 year presidential term was also accepted.

When discussing the proposal, government officials justified their approval by saying this change means administrations will have more time to carry out their agenda as the transition of power takes up crucial term time.

A suggestion to change when presidential elections are held has also been approved by the government. Currently the elections are held on 7^th December which has been said to create a rushed transitional period.

The accepted plan would hold presidential elections in the first week of November in order to create a gap between the polls and the presidential inauguration date of 7^th January.

These changes were proposed and based on the findings of a committee who have been reviewing Ghana’s constitution that was passed in 1992. The committee was set up by Ghanian President John Dramani Mahama and has been active since 2025. Mahama is one year into his presidential term, having been elected in 2025.

The government have also approved a committee recommendation to lower the minimum age requirement for presidential candidates from 40 to 30. However, the government have amended the committee’s recommendation by only agreeing to lower the age to 35.

While these proposals all have government approval, it will be a long time before they become law. The public will have to vote in a national referendum on all recommendations concerning presidential term limits. To pass a minimum of 40% of registered voters must take part in the referendum and at least 75% of those voting have to approve the change. The national referendum is likely to be scheduled in 2027.

Africanews plus agencies, Maghrebi.org