Ghana has accepted a proposal to extend the presidential term from four years to five and reduce the minimum age for presidential candidates from 40 to 35.
The decision follows a review of the country’s 1992 Constitution by a committee established last year by President John Mahama.
However, the Minister for Government Communications, Felix Ofosu, clarified on Thursday that the proposed constitutional amendment would not benefit the incumbent president.
Earlier, Attorney-General and Minister of Justice Dominic Ayine announced that the government had approved the committee’s recommendation, saying the changes were aimed at giving future administrations more time to implement their policies and programmes before returning to the electorate.
Ayine explained that the current four-year electoral cycle leaves governments with limited time to execute their development agenda, as transition activities and election preparations consume a significant portion of each administration’s tenure.
According to him, extending the presidential term to five years would provide a more realistic period for governance, policy implementation and the evaluation of government performance.
The government also endorsed a recommendation to extend the tenure of parliament to align with the proposed five-year presidential term.
In addition, it approved plans to move presidential elections to the first week of November, creating a wider gap before the January 7 inauguration.
The proposed constitutional amendment will undergo several legislative processes before being presented to Ghanaians in a national referendum in 2027.
For the amendment to take effect, at least 40 per cent of registered voters must participate in the referendum, while a minimum of 75 per cent of those who vote must support the proposal.