Ghana government backs five-year presidential tenure, lowers candidate age to 35

The Ghanaian government has endorsed constitutional reforms that would extend the presidential term to five years and reduce the minimum age for presidential candidates to 35.

The proposals were accepted on Thursday after the Constitution Review Committee presented its final report to President John Dramani Mahama, who established the committee last year to recommend constitutional changes.

Speaking to journalists, Justice Minister Dominic Ayine confirmed the government’s position.

“The government has accepted the recommendation to extend the term of office of the president from four years to five years,” he said.

The committee also proposed increasing the tenure of members of Parliament from four to five years to ensure both arms of government serve the same term.

Although the review committee recommended lowering the presidential age requirement to 30 years, the government opted for a minimum age of 35.

Explaining the recommendation, the committee said a four-year administration effectively has only “a little over two years” to govern because the early months are devoted to appointments and the final year is largely focused on election campaigns.

It also argued that extending the tenure to five years would “strengthen democratic accountability” by allowing governments more time to implement policies and fulfil their mandates.

The proposed constitutional amendments will require approval in a national referendum expected to be held in 2027, where they must meet constitutional turnout and approval thresholds before taking effect.

Ghana has maintained one of Africa’s most stable democracies since 1992 and remains one of the continent’s leading producers of gold and cocoa.

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