The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has rejected the proposed extension of Ghana’s presidential term from four years to five years, insisting that the current four-year mandate should be maintained.
The party’s position follows a recommendation by the Constitution Review Committee (CRC), chaired by Professor H. Kwasi Prempeh, to extend the tenure of the President to five years as part of a broader package of constitutional reforms.
The committee submitted its final report to President John Dramani Mahama in December 2025. Government subsequently accepted the proposal in July 2026, alongside a recommendation to extend Parliament’s tenure from four years to five.
However, addressing the media on Thursday, September 17, 2026, Gushegu Member of Parliament Alhassan Tampuli Sulemana said the NPP had taken a position different from both the government and the CRC.
“The CRC recommended that the presidential term be extended from four to five years. Now, we have taken a different position from the position of government and the CRC. We do not support the extension, and we support the retention of the existing four years.”
Mr. Tampuli said the NPP considers the four-year mandate important for maintaining regular democratic accountability.
He explained that the existing electoral cycle gives citizens the opportunity to assess the performance of an administration within a defined period and decide whether to retain or change the government through the ballot box.
According to him, challenges associated with the transition into office, policy formulation and implementation should be addressed through improved efficiency rather than by giving governments an additional year in office.
“Extending the term weakens the principle of regular accountability,” he added.
The government, in accepting the CRC’s recommendation, has argued that the current four-year electoral cycle provides administrations with limited time to formulate, implement and properly assess their policies.
The proposed five-year term forms part of a wider set of constitutional reforms recommended by the CRC. The committee also proposed extending the tenure of Parliament and District Assemblies from four years to five years.
The recommendations followed the committee’s review of Ghana’s 1992 Constitution, with the final report presented to President Mahama in December 2025.
