Former President John Agyekum Kufuor has reaffirmed his support for extending Ghana’s presidential term from four years to five, arguing that the current arrangement leaves governments with limited time to implement their development programmes.
In an interview with JoyNews’ Evans Mensah on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, Kufuor said an additional year would let governments focus on delivering their policies before shifting their attention to the next general election.
“Four years is too short for a young nation that is trying to develop,” he said.
The former president explained that election campaigns often consume the fourth year of a government’s tenure, with politicians focused on securing another mandate rather than pursuing long-term development priorities.
He believes a five-year term would give governments four years to implement their programmes, leaving the fifth year for election campaigning.
“… fourth year is an election year, election year anywhere in the world is a mud year, everybody is going around promising and talking, and then the election comes, and you have to pay something to the voter to put you back, what is the benefit?” he asked.
Kufuor argued that voters should have enough time to assess a government’s performance before the election campaign period begins.
“Fourth year, if the government is good, the people will know, and then the fifth year is election year, allowing the politicians,” he added.
Kufuor, who served as president from 2001 to 2009, said his position was based on his experience in office and was not an attempt to prolong his own stay in power.
He maintained his support for the two-term presidential limit, arguing that the length of each term should be reconsidered to reflect the development needs of a country such as Ghana.
“I believe in the two terms (a system that allows an individual to become president for two separate terms), but four years for a developing young country like ours, and I have gone through the experience, so I spoke from practical experience, and it was my last state of the nation address that I brought it up, I didn’t say it to lengthen my stay,” he said.
His renewed comments come despite opposition to the proposal from his own party, the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
Kufuor, however, said the party was entitled to its position but would not change his own view simply because of the disagreement.
“Now I say five years, if for whatever reason my party (NPP) says no, that is their point of view,” he emphasised.
The proposal forms part of Ghana’s broader constitutional review discussions. Any extension of the presidential term would require the appropriate constitutional amendment process before it could become law.
