Ghana Extends Presidential Term to Five Years

Ghana's government has approved a proposal to extend the presidential term from four years to five years and to lower the minimum age requirement for presidential candidates from 40 to 35 years. This decision follows the submission of the final report by the Constitution Review Committee to President John Dramani Mahama on Thursday.

The committee was established last year to review key provisions of Ghana’s 1992 Constitution. If adopted, these reforms would represent significant constitutional changes in Ghana since its return to democratic rule over three decades ago.

Justice Minister Dominic Ayine confirmed the acceptance of the committee's recommendations, which also include extending the tenure of Members of Parliament from four years to five years to synchronize parliamentary and presidential elections. The committee argued that the current four-year term does not allow sufficient time for effective governance, as new administrations often spend considerable time on appointments and preparations before actual governance begins.