Ghana Cuts Presidential Eligibility Age From 40 to 35 Years in Constitutional Reform

• Ghana's government accepted a Constitutional Review Committee proposal to lower the minimum age for presidential candidates
• The committee originally recommended dropping the age limit to 30 years, but the government opted for a different figure
• Attorney General Dr Ayine announced the decision while presenting the government's White Paper on Thursday, July 30, 2026

Ghana's government has accepted a recommendation to lower the minimum age for presidential eligibility from 40 years to 35 years, diverging slightly from what a constitutional review body had originally proposed.

The Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dr Ayine, made the announcement on Thursday, 30 July 2026, while presenting the government's White Paper on the Constitutional Review Committee's recommendations.

Ghana's presidential age limit revised

According to a report by Citinewsroom, the Constitutional Review Committee had recommended reducing the eligibility threshold from the current constitutional requirement of 40 years down to 30 years.

The government agreed with the principle behind the proposal but introduced a modification, settling on 35 years as the new minimum age.

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"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," Dr Ayine said.

White Paper sets out government's position

The White Paper presented by Dr Dominic Ayine outlines the government's formal response to a broader set of recommendations put forward by the Constitutional Review Committee.

The age limit adjustment is among the proposed changes that have now received official backing from the executive.

If implemented, the revised threshold would mark a significant shift in Ghana's constitutional framework, opening the presidency to a younger generation of candidates than current law permits.

Ghana's presidents to serve 5 years term

Meanwhile, YEN.com.gh earlier reported that Ghana’s presidential term of office was set to be extended from four years to five years.

The Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dr Dominic Ayine, announced that the government had accepted a proposal to extend the president’s term of office.

Source: YEN.com.gh