The New Patriotic Party (NPP) is calling for the establishment of a Constituent or Consultative Assembly to deliberate on proposed changes to Ghana’s 1992 Constitution before the government proceeds with the amendment process.

The party says the scale of the proposed reforms requires a broader national discussion involving political parties, organised labour, professional bodies and other identifiable groups.

Addressing the media on Thursday, September 17, 2026, NPP Policy Committee Chairman and Ofoase/Ayirebi MP, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, said the proposals go far beyond what would ordinarily be considered amendments to selected provisions of the Constitution.

He cited recommendations to amend 147 of the Constitution’s 299 articles, alongside 59 new provisions. According to him, the combined 206 proposed changes have implications for the Executive, Parliament, independent constitutional institutions and local government.

“Amendment of 147 of 299 articles, together with 59 new provisions, that is 206 reaching into the executive, the legislature, independent constitutional bodies, and local government is not just an adjustment to some provisions of the constitution; they amount to the overhaul of the constitution and in substance the enactment of a new one,” he said.

Mr Oppong Nkrumah further alleged that there are significant differences between the recommendations of the Constitution Review Committee and the government’s position on the proposed reforms.

He claimed that the government has departed from about 100 of the 147 recommendations made by the committee and is proceeding with the implementation process without providing a formal platform for the various stakeholders to resolve the areas of disagreement.

The NPP Policy Committee Chairman said the party was particularly concerned about the absence of a broad-based deliberative mechanism through which political parties, organised labour, professional associations and other groups could examine and debate the proposals.

He argued that Ghana’s previous constitutional processes in 1969, 1979 and 1992 involved expert recommendations followed by deliberations through representative bodies before the proposals were given legal effect.

“First, the work of an expert deliberated and settled upon by a broad and representative assembly and only then given the force of law. This was done in 1969, in 1979, and in 1992 and that is what we are calling on the government to respect now,” he said.

The NPP is therefore urging the government to introduce a Constituent or Consultative Assembly Bill in Parliament to establish a formal body for deliberating on the proposed constitutional changes.

Mr Oppong Nkrumah said such an arrangement would also create an avenue to address the differences between the government and the Constitution Review Committee before the proposals are taken through the constitutional amendment procedures.

The government has already established an 11-member Constitution Review Implementation Committee, chaired by Presidential Legal Counsel and former Attorney-General Marietta Agyeiwaa Brew, to examine the government’s position alongside the review committee’s recommendations and develop a framework for implementation.

The Constitution Review Committee’s proposals include 147 amendments to existing provisions and 59 new provisions. Government has indicated that amendments to non-entrenched provisions will follow parliamentary procedures, while changes to entrenched provisions will require a national referendum.

The NPP, however, wants the deliberative process expanded before the proposed reforms advance further.