By Mavis Paintsil, Accra
IEA Forum: Christian Council Says 4 Years Enough To Deliver, Muslim Leaders Warn Extension Weakens Voter Power
Government’s plan to extend the presidential term has hit stiff opposition from the pulpit and the mosque.
Both the Christian Council of Ghana and Muslim leaders have rejected the proposal to move Ghana’s presidential mandate from four to five years.
The proposal is contained in the December 2025 Constitutional Review Report by the Prempeh Committee. The report says five years will give Presidents enough time to formulate, implement and assess policies. Government has formally accepted it.
But at the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) constitutional review dialogue in Accra last Tuesday, faith leaders said NO.
Christian Council: Give Us Continuity, Not Extra Year
Speaking for the Christian community, Most Rev. Dr Paul Kwabena Boafo, President of the Africa Methodist Council, said Ghana’s problem has never been time.
“The real crisis is continuity. Successive governments abandon projects started by their predecessors. That waste is what is killing development, not the four-year cycle,” he said.
He said the Church fully supports making the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) independent and its long-term national plan binding on all governments.
“Four years is sufficient for any elected government to implement its programme for the electorate to assess. Extending to five years will only delay accountability,” Rev. Boafo stated.
Accountability Over Tenure
Muslim representatives aligned with the Church, insisting that regular elections are an Islamic principle of accountability (Hisbah) and must not be diluted.
The Christian Council also used the platform to demand reforms on presidential appointment powers, transparency in public appointments, and independence with accountability for the Electoral Commission, CHRAJ, NCCE and Auditor-General.
On the judiciary, the Council opposed capping Supreme Court Justices at 15, saying the Court’s wide jurisdiction would be overburdened.
The IEA forum will continue collating stakeholder positions to advise government before any referendum.
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