Constitutional review committee proposes five-year presidential term

The Constitutional Review Committee has recommended extending Ghana’s presidential term from four to five years.

The committee noted that the current term is too short to ensure effective governance. The committee also clarified that it did not consider the possibility of a third term for a sitting president, stating there was neither demand nor support for such a move.

“We couldn’t find a place for a third term; nobody really seemed to like it, there was really no demand for it,” said Professor H. Kwasi Prempeh, Chair of the Committee, during the presentation of the final report on Monday, December 22, 2025.

In addition, the committee proposed reviewing the appointment processes for heads of state-owned enterprises. On the powers of the Attorney-General (A-G), Prof. Prempeh explained that the committee recommends transferring certain responsibilities to an Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission. This would allow the A-G to focus on international arbitration and major constitutional cases.

“ORAL will be done by some other body. We want to take some of the powers of the A-G and give to an Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission,” he added.

The committee spent several months collecting national feedback on proposed amendments to Ghana’s 1992 Constitution, examining various governance and accountability issues.

President John Dramani Mahama previously noted that he had received an overview of the committee’s initial findings during a briefing three weeks prior. “They met me three weeks ago and made a presentation of some of the findings they were going to make. They are quite interesting. They intend to present the final results on December 22. Once the final report is presented, we will make it known to the rest of the nation,” he stated during discussions with the National Peace Council at the Jubilee House on Wednesday, December 10, 2025.

The Constitutional Review Committee was established by President Mahama in January 2025 to evaluate the 1992 Constitution. It is chaired by Prof. H. Kwasi Prempeh, a Professor of Law and Executive Director of the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana).

Other members include Justice Sophia Adinyira, a retired Supreme Court Justice and UN Appeals Tribunal member; Charlotte Osei, lawyer and former Electoral Commission Chairperson; and Prof. Kwame Karikari, Professor of Journalism and Mass Communication. The committee also includes Dr. Godwin Djokoto, Senior Lecturer at the University of Ghana Law School; Ibrahim Tanko Amadu, governance and development management expert; Dr. Esi Ansah, Executive Director of Ashesi University’s Centre for Leadership; and Dr. Rainer Akumperigeya, lawyer and oil and gas consultant, who serves as Secretary.

The committee’s mandate is to identify gaps and challenges in implementing the previous constitutional review recommendations from the 2010 Constitution Review Commission and the 2023 Constitution Review Consultative Committee.