The Constitutional Review Committee (CRC) has recommended a proposal to extend the presidential term of office from four to five years as part of its final report on potential amendments to Ghana’s 1992 Constitution, stirring fresh debate over governance reforms in the country.
Ghana’s current constitutional framework limits the president to a four-year term, renewable once, meaning a maximum of eight years in office.
This provision was deliberately embedded in the 1992 Constitution as a safeguard against power concentration and authoritarian drift, reflecting lessons from the country’s history of political instability prior to the return to democratic rule.
The CRC, established in early 2025 by President John Dramani Mahama, has spent months engaging citizens, civil society groups, academics, and stakeholders nationwide to gather proposals on a range of constitutional issues, including governance structures, decentralization, presidential powers, and term limits.
The committee received hundreds of submissions and conducted extensive consultations before finalising its report.
Proponents of changing the tenure argue that a five-year term could give governments more time to implement long-term development plans without the disruption of frequent elections.
Advocates including some voices in government say the current four-year cycle is too short for sustainable policy continuity.
However, the proposal has generated significant pushback.
Legal experts and democratic advocates have warned that increasing the term could weaken democratic accountability and erode hard-won constitutional checks.
Critics emphasise that the existing two-term limit promotes leadership renewal and prevents the entrenchment of power.
Under Ghana’s constitutional amendment process, changes to presidential tenure would not take effect automatically.
Any such amendment must be considered by Parliament and ultimately submitted to a national referendum, as required for alterations that affect Chapter 5 of the Constitution, which governs the presidency.
The CRC’s final report has been formally presented to President Mahama on Monday, December 22, 2025 comes at a pivotal moment in Ghana’s democratic discourse, with public opinion divided on how to balance governance efficiency with the preservation of democratic safeguards.
By Sampson Kumah Ifeetwube Elvis
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