The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has rejected a proposal to allow Ghanaians with dual citizenship to contest parliamentary elections and hold certain public offices.
The union says the proposal creates an unfair distinction between dual citizens and Ghanaians who remain solely Ghanaian citizens.
Addressing the media on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, TUC Secretary General Joshua Ansah said the union disagreed with the recommendation by the Constitution Review Commission (CRC), the government’s acceptance of it and the ongoing legislative process.
“The TUC disagrees totally with the recommendation by the CRC and the government’s acceptance of it, as well as the current legislative processes on the matter of dual citizenship,” Mr Ansah said.
He questioned why public servants seeking to enter Parliament would face stricter requirements than dual citizens.
“It is strange for the CRC to recommend that a teacher in the Ghana Education Service (GES) who is serving Ghana in a deprived community must resign a full year before he or she can contest parliament elections, but a dual citizen does not have to resign their other citizenship,” he said.
“This is the contradiction and the unfairness. We must not constitutionalize this unfairness. The current arrangement must remain,” he added.
The TUC also backed proposed reforms aimed at strengthening parliamentary oversight, including a recommendation to prevent Ministers of State from simultaneously serving as Members of Parliament.
Mr Ansah said the current arrangement has contributed to executive dominance over Parliament.
“The uniquely Ghanaian hybrid system has weakened parliamentary oversight and occasioned executive dominance of the legislation. It has also weakened accountability,” he said.
The objection comes as Ghana considers recommendations from the Constitution Review Committee on amendments to the 1992 Constitution. The government published its position on the CRC’s recommendations on July 30, 2026, setting the stage for further discussions and proposed legislative changes.
Under the current constitutional framework, dual citizens face restrictions on eligibility for certain public offices, while Article 94(2)(a) sets requirements relating to eligibility for Parliament.
The proposed reforms seek to relax some of these restrictions and allow dual citizens to contest parliamentary elections while retaining their other citizenship.
The TUC has called for broad stakeholder participation in the constitutional reform process, warning against amendments being pursued without sufficient consensus.
