Private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu has questioned the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) proposal for the establishment of a Consultative Assembly as part of the constitutional review process.

His comments come after the opposition party rejected the government’s approach to reviewing Ghana’s 1992 Constitution and called for a Consultative Assembly to deliberate on the proposed changes.

Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, September 17, 2026, the Member of Parliament for Ofoase-Ayirebi, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, said the scale of the proposed reforms goes beyond what should be treated as routine amendments under Chapter 25 of the Constitution.

He said the NPP would oppose the proposed amendments in Parliament and campaign against them at the referendum.

Reacting to the NPP’s position on JoyNews' The Pulse on Thursday, Mr Kpebu said he agreed with the spirit of the proposal, particularly the call for broader consultation, but questioned whether establishing another Consultative Assembly was the best way to achieve that.

“The spirit of their suggestion is that there has not been enough consultation. And consultation would not always take place in a consultative assembly.

Mr Kpebu said his thoughts on the proposal were still evolving, arguing that Ghana had previously relied on a Consultative Assembly in the process that produced the 1992 Constitution.

He therefore questioned the rationale for returning to the same model, suggesting that the government should instead engage the NPP directly and seek areas of consensus.

“I think for me now, if the government would engage NPP, serious engagement, negotiate with them, then also maybe we can do an online ballot of what they agree on before we go on the referendum.”

Mr Kpebu said some proposed reforms could be discussed between the government and the opposition, while others could be identified as areas where there is broad agreement.

He cited the four-year presidential term and the proposed system for electing Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) as examples of reforms he believes should be maintained.

He also advocated non-partisan elections for MMDCEs.

“We should have free and fair elections, non-partisan, so that for instance, if you want to be MCE of the Kokomlemle area, you can just go ahead. You don’t need political party colours.”

Mr Kpebu said a more flexible engagement process that allows the wider public to express its views could be preferable to creating another Consultative Assembly.

He also cautioned that creating additional structures could delay the constitutional review process.

“The more we create bureaucratic structures, go and do Consultative Assembly, etc., then it doesn’t look like we can do the amendment this side. It means that perhaps it will take place after 2028.”