President John Dramani Mahama’s announcement in Bolgatanga during his Upper East Regional tour last Friday that a referendum on entrenched constitutional amendments will be held alongside the 2027 District Assembly elections is a bold and necessary step in the country’s democratic evolution.
It signals that the government is ready to move the constitutional reform conversation from reports and seminars to legislation and, ultimately, to the people.
For too long, calls to review the 1992 Constitution have echoed across academic halls, civil society forums and political platforms without decisive action.
The Constitution Review Commission (CRC) submitted its report years ago.
Governments have studied it, debated parts of it, and shelved most of it.
What President Mahama is proposing now is a clear pathway: separate the easy fixes from the hard ones, and take the hard ones directly to the sovereign people.
That distinction matters.
The President explained that the soon-to-be-inaugurated Constitutional Review Implementation Committee will reconcile the government’s position paper with the CRC recommendations and then divide proposals into two baskets.
Non-entrenched provisions will go to Parliament for approval.
Entrenched provisions — those touching the core architecture of our democracy — will go to a national referendum.
This is constitutionally sound and politically wise. Article 290 of the 1992 Constitution demands a higher threshold for amendments to entrenched clauses.
At least 40 per cent of registered voters must turn out, and at least 75 per cent of those who vote must approve.
By piggybacking the referendum on the 2027 District Assembly elections, the government avoids the cost and voter fatigue of a standalone poll, while leveraging an existing electoral calendar to drive turnout.
The timing is also instructive.
District Assembly elections are about local governance, the very tier of government that many Ghanaians feel is distant and weak.
Asking citizens to vote on constitutional change on the same day forces a connection between the national framework and local realities.
It reminds voters that how we elect assemblies, how we appoint metropolitan, municipal, and district chief executives (MMDCEs), how we fund local government, and how we hold power to account are all constitutional questions.
What should be on the table? The CRC report covered wide ground: the election of MMDCEs, the powers of the President, the size of government, the independence of key institutions, the role of the Council of State, and the relationship between the executive and Parliament.
The Implementation Committee’s job will be to sift through these and separate what requires only parliamentary consensus from what requires a national mandate.
That process must be transparent.
The 75 per cent approval threshold is deliberately high. It means no government can railroad amendments through.
It also means proponents of change must build broad consensus.
That is healthy. Constitutional change should not be a partisan project.
If we are to amend the supreme law, it must be because a wide majority of Ghanaians believe the change will make governance better, not because one party has the numbers.
Critics will ask whether 2027 is too soon, whether the political climate will allow sober debate, and whether combining the referendum with assembly elections risks confusing voters.
Those are fair questions. But delay has also been our enemy. Every year, we postpone reform; we live with provisions that many agree are outdated or that concentrate too much power in one office.
The 1992 Constitution has served us well, but no constitution should be treated as scripture. It must evolve with the country.
For Parliament, the task is clear. Non-entrenched amendments must be processed with seriousness, not rushed or politicised.
Cross-party engagement will be essential if those changes are to have legitimacy.
For the executive, the task is to resist the temptation to cherry-pick only convenient reforms.
The Implementation Committee must be seen to be independent-minded and technical, not a rubber stamp.
For citizens, the task is the most important.
A referendum is not about politicians. It is about us.
Do we want a different way of choosing local leaders?
Do we want to limit the size of government?
Do we want stronger checks on presidential power?
These are questions that affect our daily lives.
The 40 per cent turnout threshold means apathy is also a vote — a vote to keep things as they are. President
Mahama has set a date and a process.
That is progress.
Now comes the hard work of consultation, education, and consensus-building.
If done well, the 2027 referendum could be remembered as the moment Ghanaians took ownership of their constitution and deliberately shaped the next chapter of the Fourth Republic.
A constitution belongs to the people. In 2027, the people should speak.
