Legal scholar and governance advocate Professor Stephen Kwaku Asare has added his voice to public discussions on presidential term limits in the country.

According to him, while he acknowledges that claims suggesting four years or two presidential terms are too short are reasonable, he believes that Ghana does not need longer presidential terms.

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Kwaku Azar, as he is affectionately known, expressed the view that what the country truly needs is better leadership and more effective time management in its governance.

In a Facebook post on November 3, 2025, the legal luminary highlighted how political appointments often drag on for extended periods and how campaigns are unnecessarily prolonged.

As a solution, Azar stated that with just four years, the country’s governance could be effective and results-driven if campaign seasons are shortened, political appointments streamlined, and continuity ensured by governments that extend beyond election periods.

“… Appointments drag on for months; reshuffles outnumber reforms. This is not a four-year problem — it is a forever-campaign problem. Governance can work efficiently within four years if we fix the culture: shorten campaign seasons, cut political appointments, institutionalize transition planning, and empower a professional civil service to provide continuity beyond elections,” he wrote.

Further addressing arguments that giving presidents more time in office would lead to greater achievements, Azar disagreed, noting that some African leaders, despite long tenures, have contributed little to the development of their countries.

“The call for longer tenure confuses continuity with longevity. Many of the long-serving leaders in Africa had time but no transformation. Development does not depend on how long a leader stays; it depends on how well institutions work after they are gone. Two terms are not just enough; they are essential. They protect democracy, prevent power from personalizing, and allow citizens to renew leadership before it calcifies into entitlement,” he continued.

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He further stressed that building strong systems and institutions can enable a leader to achieve a great deal in just four years, adding that, “The problem is not how long we let leaders stay — it’s how little they do while they are there.

"We waste too much time governing poorly and too little time governing well. A government that cannot deliver in eight years will not perform miracles in twelve. The cure is not to extend mandates but to enforce discipline, efficiency, and accountability."

Read his post below:



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