The Institute for Democratic Governance (IDEG) has renewed calls for a broad, home-grown national consensus on constitutional reforms, warning that such reforms are essential to protecting Ghana’s democratic future.
In a statement signed by its Executive Director, Dr Emmanuel, IDEG said the time had come for long-delayed constitutional changes to be addressed decisively if Ghana’s democracy is to remain strong and resilient.
The Institute noted that January 7, 2026, marked two important milestones: 34 uninterrupted years of democratic rule under the Fourth Republic, and one year since President John Dramani Mahama was sworn into office and launched his “Reset Agenda”.
According to the statement, the past year has seen some progress by government in stabilising the economy, restoring investor confidence and introducing measures aimed at strengthening governance. IDEG said these efforts reflect a broader attempt to rebuild public trust, improve institutional accountability and promote greater civic inclusion.
However, the Institute expressed concern that constitutional reform has remained unfinished business for more than a decade. Despite the relative political stability Ghana has enjoyed, IDEG noted that successive governments between 2012 and 2020 failed to carry the reform process through, largely because of weak national consensus and the lack of a permanent, independent body to oversee implementation.
IDEG warned that these delays are particularly worrying at a time when democracy is under strain across West Africa. It pointed to declining public confidence in multi-party democracy, growing support for military interventions and increasing frustration among young people who feel democratic systems are not responding to their needs.
The Institute cautioned that such trends pose a real risk to Ghana’s democratic consolidation and could undermine the country’s long-standing reputation as a beacon of democracy in the sub-region.
IDEG described the submission of the Constitution Review Committee’s report as a timely and important opportunity to reset Ghana’s governance framework. It commended the Committee for its work and praised President Mahama for ensuring the report was made public without delay.
As Ghana marks Constitution Day 2026, the Institute said the lessons of past reform efforts must not be ignored. Instead, it called for a renewed national commitment to building broad-based consensus around the implementation of long-overdue constitutional changes.
Ultimately, IDEG stressed that protecting Ghana’s democracy is a shared responsibility. It said this requires a collective commitment to good governance, inclusion and justice, and a conscious decision to rise above divisive politics in favour of nation-building.
In support of this message, the Institute referenced President Mahama’s recent New Year address, in which he reminded Ghanaians that, “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.”