Ghana's government has accepted a recommendation to extend the presidential term from four to five years, according to an announcement made Thursday.
These changes would fundamentally alter the country's democratic cycle. By extending the term and aligning the tenure of Parliament, the government aims to provide administrations more time to implement national programs and improve overall governance.
The Justice Minister said the proposal includes lowering the minimum age for presidential candidates to 35 years [2]. The government said the current four-year constitutional cycle is insufficient for leaders to execute their planned agendas [4, 5].
Beyond the executive term, the proposal suggests a restructuring of the legislative branch. The government is backing a plan to establish a 300-seat Parliament [3]. This expansion is intended to better represent the population as the country grows.
To implement these constitutional shifts, the government plans to put the changes to a public vote. A referendum is expected to take place in 2027 [6].
The alignment of the presidential and parliamentary terms is designed to reduce the friction of staggered election cycles. This synchronization is viewed by officials as a step toward more stable governance, ensuring that the executive and legislative branches are elected on the same timeline.
These recommendations come as part of a broader constitutional review. The government said the updated framework will create a more efficient system of administration across West Africa's second-most populous nation.
“Ghana's government has accepted a recommendation to extend the presidential term from four to five years”
The shift toward a five-year term reflects a growing tension in many emerging democracies between the need for frequent electoral accountability and the desire for long-term policy stability. By lowering the age requirement and expanding Parliament, Ghana is attempting to broaden political participation while simultaneously consolidating executive power over a longer duration. The 2027 referendum will serve as a critical barometer for whether the Ghanaian public prioritizes administrative efficiency over the current four-year check on power.
