Ghana is taking on one of the most significant institutional reforms in its recent history. In the past week, President John Dramani Mahama’s government officially adopted several recommendations from the ongoing review of the 1992 constitution, among them a lowered minimum age to run for president, currently set at 40.
According to Justice Minister Dominic Ayine, the government settled on a threshold of 35, a middle ground between the current rule and the age of 30 originally recommended by the constitutional review committee. He defended the choice by saying it stayed in line with the trend among modern democratic constitutions to make room for younger leadership.
The reform is part of a broader constitutional package. The government also agreed to extend the presidential term from four to five years, with the parliamentary term adjusted to match so that election cycles line up. The two term limit on the presidency would stay in place.
Presidential elections would also move from December to the first week of November, allowing for a longer transition period before the inauguration set for January 7, a shift meant to ease last minute political tension and strengthen the stability of the country’s democratic governance.
These recommendations come from a committee reviewing the 1992 constitution, set up last year by President Mahama and chaired by Professor H. Kwasi Prempeh. The committee submitted its final report on December 22, 2025. Its main argument for extending the term is straightforward, a four year term leaves the executive with only a little over two years of actual governing time, since the first six months are typically spent on appointments and the final year on preparing for the next election.
The government must now set up a new committee to draft two amendment bills, expected by October 2026. The bill covering the term extension will need to go through several steps before being put to a national referendum in 2027. For that referendum to pass, at least 40 percent of registered voters must turn out, with at least 75 percent voting in favor. Framed by the government as a lever for stability and governing efficiency, the reform is nonetheless raising questions about national priorities and the country’s democratic balance, in a nation that remains a major West African gold and cocoa producer with a stable democracy dating back to 1992.
