Politics · 5-year terms · ArchiveGhana Proposes Five-Year Presidential Terms — Voters to Decide in ReferendumAired August 2, 2026 at 1:42 PM UTCWritten September 7, 2026 at 9:22 PM UTCRead the write-upThis storyTranscript · LOADING0:00Ghana's government has unveiled a0:01package of constitutional reforms that0:03would extend presidential terms from 40:05to 5 years. The proposals emerging from0:08a review committee President John Mahama0:09assembled in 2025 also lower the minimum0:12age for the presidency to 35 and allow0:14dual citizens to stand for Parliament in0:16a shift that would reduce presidential0:18authority. Local council heads would be0:20elected by voters rather than appointed0:22by the president. Each change must clear0:25a national referendum requiring majority0:27support. The term extension is the most0:29politically charged provision. Ghana's0:31current constitution limits presidents0:33to two 4-year terms and while a shift to0:355-year terms would not abolish term0:36limits, speculation reported by France0:3924 is that the review could help0:40President Mahama, who currently does not0:42qualify for a third term, find a path0:44back onto the ballot. Neither Mahama nor0:47his committee has publicly addressed0:48that possibility. No referendum date has0:51been set. The review committee assembled0:53by President Mahama in 2025 put forward0:56the package, but it will be Ghanaian0:58voters who decide its fate in a national1:00referendum. The proposals have already1:02sparked debate across the country. The1:04package contains a structural tension.1:06Measures that decentralize power away1:08from the presidency sit alongside a1:10measure that gives whoever holds the1:11presidency an extra year per term.1:13The debate is already dividing Ghanaians1:16and whether this package becomes1:17constitutional law will now be decided1:19by a campaign and aboutExplore with HeyDexThe shortThe short ↗