Gov't Endorses Five-Year Presidential Term, Cuts Age Limit to 35

The Government of Ghana has formally endorsed a proposal to extend the presidential and parliamentary term of office from four to five years, while settling on 35 years as the new minimum age for presidential candidates a departure from the 30-year threshold originally recommended by the Constitutional Review Committee (CRC).

Background to the reform
The CRC, an eight-member body inaugurated by President John Dramani Mahama in February 2025 and chaired by constitutional law scholar Professor Henry Kwasi Prempeh, was tasked with reviewing the 1992 Constitution and proposing actionable reforms after months of nationwide consultations. The Committee presented its final report to the President at the Jubilee House on December 22, 2025, recommending, among other things, the extension of the presidential and parliamentary terms from four to five years and a reduction of the presidential eligibility age from 40 to 30.

Professor Prempeh had stressed at the time that the proposed term extension was not designed to open the door to a third presidential term, noting that the idea found no support during the Committee's consultations across the country.

Cabinet's deliberations
Cabinet held three separate sittings to consider the government's official response a position paper setting out which CRC recommendations to accept, modify, or reject. Government Spokesperson Felix Kwakye Ofosu confirmed on July 14, 2026, that Cabinet had concluded its deliberations, explaining that, unlike a commission of inquiry, the constitutional review process obliges government to respond formally to each recommendation.

Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga had already signaled that government had completed drafting the position paper and would introduce constitutional amendment bills before Parliament during the current sitting, cautioning MPs to brace for an intensive legislative agenda covering both entrenched and non-entrenched provisions.

Government's position: five years, age 35

Government has now endorsed the five-year term proposal in full, but has moderated the age-limit recommendation, settling on 35 rather than the Committee's proposed 30. The compromise figure notably restores the threshold that applied under Ghana's first Republican Constitution of 1960, which set the minimum presidential age at 35 years, before it was raised to 40 under the 1969, 1979, and 1992 Constitutions.

The lower age proposed by the CRC had drawn public criticism, including from All People's Congress leader Hassan Ayariga, who argued that a 30-year threshold was ill-advised because many Ghanaians at that age had not yet acquired sufficient governance experience. The government's decision to land on 35 appears to reflect an attempt to balance calls for generational inclusion against such concerns.

Next steps
The Attorney-General and Minister of Justice is expected to publish the full position paper and brief the public, after which President Mahama is expected to inaugurate a Constitutional Review Implementation Committee to oversee the rollout of the reforms. The Attorney-General's office will also harmonize the approved position paper with the CRC's original report ahead of the drafting of amendment bills for Parliament.

Civil society groups, including the Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), have called for a clear implementation timeline, cautioning that amendments to entrenched constitutional provisions require lengthy notice periods and broad national consensus if the process is not to stall as previous review efforts have.

Mustapha Bature Sallama.
Medical/ Science Communicator,
Private Investigator, Criminal investigation and Intelligence Analysis.

International Conflict Management and Peace Building.USIP

[email protected]
+233-555-275-880
References
Pulse Ghana, "Constitutional Review Committee proposes 5-year presidential term, 30-year age limit," December 22, 2025. https://www.pulse.com.gh/story/constitutional-review-committee-proposes-5-year-presidential-term-30-year-age-limit-2025122217580006212

The Herald Ghana, "Cabinet concludes deliberations on government's position paper for constitutional review," July 2026. https://theheraldghana.com/cabinet-concludes-deliberations-on-governments-position-paper-for-constitutional-review/

Ghanaian News Canada, "Cabinet Concludes Final Review of Government Position on Constitutional Reforms," July 14, 2026. https://ghanaiannews.ca/cabinet-concludes-final-review-of-government-position-on-constitutional-reforms/

Ghana Business News, "Cabinet holds meeting on Government Position Paper on Constitution Review Committee report," July 15, 2026. https://www.ghanabusinessnews.com/2026/07/15/cabinet-holds-meeting-on-government-position-paper-on-constitution-review-committee-report/

ModernGhana, "Constitution review: Lowering presidential age limit to 30 outrageous Hassan Ayariga," December 23, 2025. https://www.modernghana.com/news/1458963/constitution-review-lowering-presidential-age.html

GBC Ghana Online, "CDD-Ghana calls for clear timeline on constitutional reforms," June 9, 2026. https://www.gbcghanaonline.com/news/politics/cdd-ghana-timeline-reforms/2026/