Supreme Court abolishes delegate system for presidential and parliamentary primaries
The Supreme Court has ruled that political parties can no longer use the delegate system to elect their presidential and parliamentary candidates.
In a 5-2 majority decision delivered on Wednesday, July 29, the court ordered political parties to allow all registered members in good standing to participate in internal elections.
The ruling follows a suit filed by Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, Dr. Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe and Dr. Christine Amoako-Nuamah, who challenged the constitutionality of the delegate-based electoral systems used by major political parties in Ghana.
The plaintiffs, represented by lawyer Oliver Barker-Vormawor, argued that the current system restricted the participation of ordinary party members and created opportunities for practices such as vote-buying.
They called for the adoption of a direct “one member, one vote” system, insisting that every registered party member in good standing should have the right to vote in presidential and parliamentary primaries.
The defendants in the case included the New Patriotic Party (NPP), National Democratic Congress (NDC), Convention People's Party (CPP), the Attorney General and the Electoral Commission of Ghana.
The Office of the Attorney General supported the case by filing arguments in favour of the challenge against the delegate system.
The Supreme Court’s decision is expected to significantly alter how political parties conduct their internal elections ahead of future presidential and parliamentary contests.