Accra: The Institute for Democratic Governance (IDEG) has called for a nationally driven consensus on constitutional reforms to safeguard Ghana's democratic future.
According to Ghana News Agency, in a statement signed by Dr. Emmanuel, Executive Director of IDEG, the Institute emphasized the necessity of long-overdue constitutional reforms to protect and strengthen Ghana's democratic prospects. The statement highlighted that January 7, 2026, marked Ghana's 34th consecutive year of stable democratic governance and one year since President John Dramani Mahama was sworn into office and launched the 'Reset Agenda.'
The statement further detailed that the government has made progress over the past year in stabilizing the macroeconomic environment, rebuilding investor confidence, and initiating measures to strengthen governance systems. These efforts reflect a commitment to rebuilding national trust, enhancing institutional accountability, and promoting civic inclusion.
Despite the stability achieved under the Fourth Republic, IDEG noted that Ghana's constitutional reform process has remained protracted and inconclusive for more than a decade. It pointed out that four successive governments between 2012 and 2020 have been unable to implement the reforms, mainly due to weak national consensus and the lack of a permanent and independent institutional framework to oversee the implementation.
The statement underscored that these delays are occurring against a backdrop of democratic regression in West Africa, declining confidence in multi-party democracy, rising support for military rule, and growing youth disenchantment over the perceived unresponsiveness of democratic governance. IDEG warned that these developments threaten Ghana's democratic consolidation and its role as a democratic anchor in the sub-region.
IDEG acknowledged the submission of the Constitution Review Committee's report as a critical opportunity to reset Ghana's governance architecture and commended both the Committee for its work and President Mahama for ensuring the report's immediate public release. As Ghana marked Constitution Day 2026, the Institute stressed that lessons from past reform efforts should guide a renewed commitment to building broad national consensus for implementing long-overdue reforms.
The statement emphasized that safeguarding Ghana's democracy requires collective dedication to good governance, inclusion, and justice, while rejecting divisive politics in favor of nation-building. It cited President Mahama's New Year address, which stated: "Governments do not build nations alone; they do that with their citizenry. and the challenges we face are too urgent, and the opportunities before us are too precious, for us to waste time and energy on needless conflict."