The New Patriotic Party (NPP) says it does not support the Constitutional Review Committee’s (CRC) proposal to extend Ghana’s presidential term beyond the current four years.
The party argues that retaining the four-year mandate remains the best way to ensure regular accountability and give citizens the opportunity to assess and decide on the performance of any government.
The position was outlined by the Member of Parliament for Gushegu, Sulemana Tampuli Alhassan, at a press conference in Accra on Wednesday, September 17, 2026.
According to him, the NPP disagrees with both the CRC and Government on the proposal to extend the term to five years.
The CRC, chaired by Prof. Henry Kwasi Prempeh, recommended the extension as part of its broader constitutional reform proposals contained in its final report submitted to President John Dramani Mahama in December 2025.
Government accepted the recommendation in July 2026, along with a corresponding extension of Parliament’s tenure, on the grounds that the four-year cycle leaves little time for governments to formulate, implement and assess policies.
The NPP, however, maintains that the challenges cited should be addressed through efficiency and timely decision-making, not an extension.
“The CRC recommended that the presidential term be extended from 4 to 5 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 4 years,” Alhassan said.
“And our justifications are that a four-year mandate promotes democratic accountability by allowing citizens to regularly assess the performance of a government and renew or withdraw their mandates.”
He added that “challenges relating to policy implementation, transition and the formation of government should be addressed through greater efficiency and timely decision-making, rather than by extension. Again, extending the term weakens the principle of regular accountability.”
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