Professor Henry Kwasi Prempeh, Chairman of the Constitution Review Committee (CRC), has defended the committee’s recommendation to reduce the minimum age for presidential candidates to 30, responding to concerns that the proposal could allow inexperienced individuals to assume the nation’s highest office.

Speaking on the historical context, Prof. Prempeh noted that former President John Kufuor held significant leadership roles at a much younger age.

“In 1969, we had a ceremonial president, and I think the age was 40 or higher, but real power was with the Prime Minister and the Cabinet. To get into Cabinet, you had to come from Parliament, and the minimum age at the time was 21.

"So when former President Kufuor became a Deputy Minister, he was 21—not even 30—because the constitution allowed you to enter Parliament at 21, from where you could be picked as a Cabinet Minister or even Prime Minister,” he explained.

Prof. Prempeh stressed that the committee’s proposal aims to expand political participation and give young Ghanaians more opportunities to engage in leadership.

He argued that age alone should not determine leadership capacity, pointing to historical examples where young leaders effectively contributed to governance.

He urged the public to view the recommendation within the broader context of constitutional reform, which seeks to modernise Ghana’s governance structures and reflect the aspirations of a youthful population.

According to him, lowering the presidential age is part of making the political system more inclusive and forward-looking.