Proposed Five-Year Presidential Term Will Not Benefit Mahama – Felix Kwakye Ofosu

Proposed Five-Year Presidential Term Will Not Benefit Mahama – Felix Kwakye Ofosu

Minister for Government Communications Felix Kwakye Ofosu has made it clear that the government’s planned constitutional amendment to lengthen the presidential term from four years to five years will not apply to sitting President John Dramani Mahama.

His statement comes after Attorney-General and Minister for Justice Dr Dominic Ayine announced that the government has accepted a recommendation from the Constitutional Review Committee (CRC) to extend the terms of both the President and Members of Parliament from four to five years.

In a post on X, Mr Kwakye Ofosu moved to end speculation that the change could favour the current President.

“Attorney-General says Government accepts recommendation of Constitutional Review Committee to extend presidential term from 4 to 5 years. Minimum eligible age to contest for president reduced to 35 from 40. For the avoidance of doubt, this proposed amendment does not apply to the incumbent President,” he wrote.

Presenting the government’s White Paper on the CRC’s recommendations, Dr Ayine explained that the longer term is meant to give future governments more time to roll out their policies and programmes before facing the electorate again.

He noted that the present four-year cycle often leaves administrations with limited room to deliver, as transition periods and election activities take up much of the start and end of each term.

Extending the tenure to five years, he argued, would create a more realistic window for governance, policy delivery and evaluating performance.

The government also accepted a separate recommendation to lower the minimum age for presidential candidates from 40 to 35 years.

The proposed constitutional changes will still have to pass through the necessary legislative and constitutional steps before they can come into force.