The government has endorsed a proposal to extend the tenure of the President and Parliament from four years to five years, saying the change would give elected administrations more time to implement and assess their policies.
Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dr Dominic Ayine, announced the decision while presenting the government’s White Paper on the recommendations of the Constitutional Review Committee (CRC).
Dr Ayine explained that the current four-year electoral cycle often leaves governments with limited time to focus fully on governance, as the early part of an administration is taken up by transition activities, while election preparations largely dominate the final year.
“A five-year term provides a more realistic time frame for the formulation, implementation and assessment of government policy,” Dr Ayine said.
Under the proposal, the five-year tenure would apply to both the President and Parliament, ensuring that the two institutions continue to operate within the same electoral cycle.
The government also accepted, in principle, a recommendation to reduce the minimum age for presidential candidates, but has proposed a higher threshold than the CRC’s recommendation.
The CRC had proposed reducing the minimum age for presidential eligibility from 40 to 30 years. However, the government has opted for 35 years.
“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,” Dr Ayine stated.
He said the modification reflects the government’s decision to accept the principle of lowering the age requirement while setting the minimum at 35 rather than 30.
The proposals form part of broader constitutional reforms being considered by the government following the work of the Constitutional Review Committee.
