Ghana adopts five-year presidential terms and lowers candidacy age to 35

Ghana's executive branch has accepted a committee's recommendation to lengthen the presidential term to five years, matching the duration of parliamentary sessions. The justice minister said the adjustment aims to give administrations more time to implement policies beyond the transition and election cycles. The same reform lowers the eligibility age for presidential candidates from 40 to 35, after the committee originally proposed a cut to 30.

Presidential elections will be scheduled for the first week of November to provide a sufficient interval before the January 7 inauguration. A new drafting committee will prepare two constitutional amendment bills, targeted for completion by October 2026, with the term-limit amendment to be decided by a 2027 referendum requiring 40% voter turnout and a 75% approval rate.