The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has rejected a proposal to extend Ghana’s presidential term from four years to five years, insisting that the current four-year mandate should be maintained.
The party says the existing four-year term is important for democratic accountability because it gives citizens the opportunity to regularly assess the performance of elected governments and decide whether to renew or withdraw their mandate.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, September 17, 2026, the Member of Parliament for Gushegu, Sulemana Tampuli Alhassan, said the NPP had taken a different position from both the government and the Constitutional Review Committee (CRC) on the proposed change.
The CRC, chaired by Professor H. Kwasi Prempeh, recommended that the presidential term be extended from four to five years as part of its broader proposals for constitutional reform. The committee submitted its final report to President John Dramani Mahama in December 2025.
Government subsequently accepted the recommendation in July 2026, together with a proposal to extend Parliament’s tenure from four to five years. The government has argued that the current four-year electoral cycle gives successive administrations limited time to formulate, implement and properly assess policies.
The NPP, however, says challenges associated with policy implementation, transitions and the formation of government should be addressed through greater efficiency and timely decision-making rather than by extending the presidential mandate.
“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.
He added that extending the presidential term could weaken the principle of regular accountability by giving citizens fewer opportunities to evaluate the performance of governments through elections.
