Ghana's government has officially accepted a recommendation to extend the terms of office for both the President and Members of Parliament from four years to five years. Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine, announced this decision on Thursday, July 30, 2026, at a press conference held at the Presidency. This move follows the submission of the Constitutional Review Committee's final report to President John Dramani Mahama at the Jubilee House.
The government's primary justification for this extension is that the current four-year constitutional cycle does not provide sufficient time for administrations to effectively implement their planned programmes. Dr. Ayine explained that a significant portion of each four-year term is consumed by transition activities after an election and then by election-related preparations in the final year. This leaves a limited window for actual governance and policy delivery.
This proposed change is a key part of a broader package of constitutional reforms. These reforms are detailed in the final report from the Constitutional Review Committee, which Professor H. Kwasi Prempeh chaired. The committee's work aimed to review Ghana's 1992 Constitution, with recommendations covering various aspects including governance structures, the powers of state institutions, and the tenure of elected officials. The government believes a five-year mandate would offer a more practical timeframe for policy formulation, implementation, and evaluation.
Dr. Ayine explicitly stated, "The government has accepted the recommendation to extend the term of office of the president from four years to five years with the term of parliament extended to correspond with this." He further elaborated on the rationale, saying, "Our thinking is practical. Under the current four-year cycle, the early months of every administration are consumed by transition and the final year is consumed by election. A five-year term provides a more realistic timeframe for the formulation, implementation and the assessment of every government." This perspective highlights a desire to reduce the disruptive impact of Ghana's frequent election cycles on national governance.
The acceptance of this recommendation signals a potential shift in Ghana's political landscape, aiming for greater stability and continuity in governance. Should this proposal be enacted, it would require significant constitutional amendments, which would likely involve parliamentary debate and potentially a national referendum. Decision-makers and political analysts will closely watch the next steps, including the government's issuance of a position paper on the constitutional review recommendations. This change could impact future election strategies, government accountability, and the overall pace of national development, as administrations would have an extended period to demonstrate their effectiveness.