Christian Council of Ghana Rejects Proposed Five-Year Presidential Term

The Christian Council of Ghana has rejected a proposal to extend Ghana’s presidential and parliamentary terms from four years to five years as part of the ongoing constitutional review process.

Christian Council opposes five-year presidential term

The Council says Ghana’s existing four-year electoral cycle is sufficient for an elected government to implement its programme and that extending the term is not necessary to achieve effective governance.

Speaking at an Institute of Economic Affairs constitutional review engagement in Accra, the Immediate Past Presiding Bishop of The Methodist Church Ghana, Most Reverend Dr Paul Kwabena Boafo, said the Christian Council does not support the proposed five-year presidential term.

Focus should be on policy continuity

According to the Council, the central issue should be continuity in national development policies rather than increasing the length of the electoral cycle.

The Council argued that successive governments should build on development programmes initiated by previous administrations instead of abandoning them when political power changes hands.

Proposal forms part of constitutional review

The proposed extension of the presidential and parliamentary term is among recommendations from Ghana’s Constitutional Review Committee. The committee, chaired by Professor Henry Kwasi Prempeh, submitted its final report and recommendations to President John Dramani Mahama in December 2025.

The government has accepted the proposal, with the argument that an additional year could provide more time for policy formulation, implementation and assessment.

Christian Council also calls for limits on presidential powers

Beyond the presidential term proposal, the Christian Council has called for reforms to reduce the President’s appointing powers, particularly concerning independent constitutional bodies.

The Council supports greater stakeholder participation in appointment processes and has called for stronger safeguards around transparency, merit, accountability and conflicts of interest.

Call for stronger national development planning

The Council has also supported strengthening the National Development Planning Commission to promote long-term national development planning and policy continuity.

The Christian Council’s position adds to the ongoing national discussion over the Constitutional Review Committee’s recommendations, with different organisations and groups expressing differing views on proposed changes to Ghana’s constitutional framework.