GFA extends presidential term to three terms after 31st Ordinary Congress vote.

The Ghana Football Association has modified its statutes to extend the presidential term limit from two to three four-year terms, following a decisive vote at the 31st Ordinary Congress in Pampram on Tuesday, August 12, 2025.

Of the 123 delegates who participated, 114 voted in favour of the change, six opposed it, and three abstained, thereby formally altering the 2019 rules that previously limited the presidency to two terms.

Under the amendment, incumbent president Kurt Edwin Simeon Okraku, first elected in 2019, will be eligible to contest a third term when his current mandate expires in 2027.

The change was presented by its proponents as a mechanism for ensuring continuity in leadership, allowing long-term projects and reforms to be seen through to completion without the disruption caused by frequent changes at the top.

At the congress, supporters argued that the extension aligns the GFA with other football associations that permit three-term presidencies and strengthens the association’s ability to professionalise and develop football across all levels in Ghana.

Delegates cited ongoing initiatives in youth development, league restructuring, and referee welfare as programmes that benefit from sustained oversight.

However, critics have warned that the amendment could lead to power concentration and limit opportunities for fresh leadership and new ideas.

Delegates and observers have urged the GFA to pair the extended term limit with enhanced governance safeguards, transparency measures, and robust checks and balances to prevent any erosion of democratic accountability.

Now that the amendment has been ratified, attention in the football community shifts to how the new term limit will impact the GFA’s strategic direction and internal governance.