By Philip Antoh
The Supreme Court has fixed July 29, 2026, to deliver a landmark judgment in a suit challenging the legality of the delegate system used by political parties in Ghana to elect parliamentary and presidential candidates.
The suit, filed by former Minister of Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation Prof. Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, alongside Dr. Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe and former Lands and Forestry Minister Dr. Christine Amoako-Nuamah, argues that the current method violates democratic principles.
In a related development, the seven-member panel presiding over the case dismissed an application by the Liberal Party of Ghana seeking to join the proceedings.
The court ruled that the party failed to file its application within the stipulated timeframe and had not acted with reasonable promptness.
Challenge to Delegate Voting
The substantive suit targets the delegate-based electoral colleges of major political parties, including the New Patriotic Party (NPP), the National Democratic Congress (NDC), and the Convention People’s Party (CPP).
The plaintiffs, led by counsel Oliver Barker-Vormawor, contend that restricting voting rights to a select group of party executives and office holders disenfranchises many party members.
They argue that this creates a privileged class of voters and undermines the constitutional guarantees of equality and participation.
Asserting that political parties are constitutional entities, the plaintiffs insist they must organize their internal affairs in line with democratic governance.
Consequently, they are advocating for universal suffrage within parties, allowing all members in good standing to vote directly in internal elections.
Reliefs Sought
The lawsuit specifically targets provisions in the constitutions of the NPP, NDC, and CPP that mandate delegate voting.
The Electoral Commission (EC) has been named as a defendant for allegedly failing to enforce the Political Parties Act, which requires parties to maintain internal democratic structures.
Among the specific reliefs sought by the plaintiffs are; a declaration that the delegate systems of the NPP, NDC, and CPP are unconstitutional, an order compelling these parties to amend their constitutions to allow for equal and direct voting by all members in good standing, a directive requiring the Electoral Commission to scrutinize political party constitutions to ensure they comply with democratic principles and a declaration affirming political equality and equal voting rights for all party members, regardless of their status or position.
The upcoming ruling is widely anticipated, as it has the potential to fundamentally reshape the internal democratic processes of political parties and alter how presidential and parliamentary candidates are selected in Ghana.