The Council of State has advised against the passage of the Constitution of Ghana (Amendment) Bill, 2025, dealing a major blow to efforts to allow dual citizens to occupy certain high-level public offices.

The proposed amendment sought to revise Article 8(2) of the 1992 Constitution by removing restrictions that bar Ghanaians with dual citizenship from holding a number of key state positions. Among the offices affected are Member of Parliament, Ambassador or High Commissioner, Chief of Defence Staff, Service Chiefs of the Ghana Armed Forces, Inspector-General of Police, Secretary to the Cabinet and Director of Immigration.

The Bill was introduced in Parliament in February 2026 and referred to the Constitutional and Legal Affairs Committee by First Deputy Speaker Bernard Ahiafor for consideration.

One of the lead sponsors, Mpraeso MP Davis Ansah Opoku, argued that the amendment was intended to reflect the realities of a globalised world and ensure qualified Ghanaians abroad are not excluded from national service because of their citizenship status.

The proposed reforms also received support from President John Dramani Mahama, who announced during a diaspora engagement in London on May 31 that government had initiated legislation to enable Ghanaians holding foreign citizenship to contest parliamentary elections and serve in ministerial positions.

President Mahama described the proposal as the "Gyakye Quayson law," referencing the citizenship-related legal disputes involving Assin North MP James Gyakye Quayson. He also pointed to the significant contribution of the Ghanaian diaspora, which remitted about 7.8 billion dollars to the economy last year, describing overseas Ghanaians as the country's "17th region."

Although the Council of State's advice is not legally binding, its constitutional responsibility to counsel the President on matters of national importance gives its position considerable influence. Its opposition to the amendment is expected to shape further deliberations on the Bill.

The proposal has generated intense public and political debate since its introduction, with supporters advocating broader participation of the diaspora in governance, while opponents maintain that holders of sensitive public offices should owe allegiance solely to Ghana.

The debate follows a 2024 Supreme Court ruling that declared portions of the Citizenship Act restricting eligibility for certain public offices unconstitutional, highlighting the continuing legal and constitutional questions surrounding dual citizenship and public office in Ghana.