The Institute for Democratic Governance (IDEG) has urged Ghanaians to build a nationally driven consensus around constitutional reforms to secure the country’s democratic future.
In a statement signed by its Executive Director, Dr Emmanuel, IDEG said long-overdue constitutional reforms were critical to strengthening and safeguarding Ghana’s democratic prospects.
The Institute noted that January 7, 2026, marked 34 consecutive years of stable democratic governance under the Fourth Republic, as well as one year since President John Dramani Mahama was sworn into office and launched the “Reset Agenda.”
IDEG acknowledged that over the past year, government efforts had helped stabilise the macroeconomic environment, restore investor confidence, and introduce measures to strengthen governance systems, aimed at rebuilding national trust, enhancing institutional accountability, and promoting civic inclusion.
On constitutional review, IDEG observed that despite Ghana’s democratic stability, the reform process had remained prolonged and unresolved for more than a decade. It said four successive governments between 2012 and 2020 failed to implement the reforms due largely to weak national consensus and the absence of a permanent, independent body to oversee implementation.
The Institute warned that these delays were unfolding amid democratic regression across West Africa, declining confidence in multiparty democracy, increasing support for military rule, and growing youth disenchantment with what is perceived as an unresponsive democratic system.
IDEG cautioned that these trends posed a threat to Ghana’s democratic consolidation and its standing as a democratic anchor in the sub-region.
It described the submission of the Constitution Review Committee’s report as a crucial opportunity to reset Ghana’s governance framework, commending both the Committee for its work and President Mahama for ensuring the report’s immediate public release.
As Ghana marks Constitution Day 2026, IDEG said lessons from previous reform efforts should inform a renewed national commitment to implementing the long-overdue reforms.
The Institute stressed that protecting Ghana’s democracy requires collective dedication to good governance, inclusion, and justice, urging Ghanaians to reject divisive politics in favour of nation-building. It cited President Mahama’s New Year address, in which he said governments do not build nations alone, and that the challenges and opportunities facing the country were too important to be undermined by needless conflict.
