Government Backs 5-Year Presidential Term and Lowers Minimum Age to 35

Government has agreed to extend the tenure of the President and Parliament from four years to five years, Attorney General and Minister for Justice, *Dr. Dominic Ayine*, has announced.

Presenting the government’s White Paper on the Constitutional Review Committee [CRC] report, Dr. Ayine said the move is meant to give administrations enough time to roll out and assess policies before facing voters again.

*“The government has accepted a recommendation to extend the term of office of the president from four years to five years, with the term of Parliament extended to correspond with this,”* he stated.

According to the Attorney General, the current four-year cycle is too short. He explained that new governments spend the first few months on transitions, while the final year is usually taken up by election activities, leaving little room for real governance.

*“Our thinking is practical. Under the current four-year cycle, the early months of every administration are consumed by transition matters, and the final year is largely consumed by elections,”* Dr. Ayine said.

He added that *“a five-year term provides a more realistic time frame for the formulation, implementation and assessment of government policy.”*

*Minimum Age for President Reduced to 35*

Dr. Ayine also announced that government has accepted, in principle, the CRC’s proposal to reduce the minimum age to contest for president. However, government has modified it.

While the committee recommended cutting the age from 40 to 30, the government wants it set at *35 years*.

*“Still under the presidency, the committee recommended that the minimum age of eligibility for election as president be reduced from 40 years, currently in the Constitution, to 30 years. The government has accepted this recommendation in principle, subject to one modification,”* he said.

*“The minimum age will be 35 years, not 30 years. And of course, the details of this will be fashioned out by the Constitutional Review.”*

The White Paper signals government’s intent to amend key provisions of the 1992 Constitution to reflect current governance realities.