The Supreme Court has declared Ghana’s delegate system for political party elections unconstitutional, ruling that all registered members of political parties must be allowed to vote in the selection of presidential and parliamentary candidates.
In a landmark 5-2 majority decision delivered on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, the apex court held that restricting voting rights to a limited body of delegates violates Article 55 of the 1992 Constitution, which requires political parties to organise and operate along democratic principles.
The case was brought by three senior politicians, former ministers Prof. Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng and Christine Amoako-Nuamah, as well as veteran New Patriotic Party (NPP) stalwart Dr Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe. They argued that the delegate system disenfranchised the majority of party members by limiting participation in internal elections to a select group of delegates.
The Supreme Court agreed with the plaintiffs, effectively striking down a system that has for decades been used by Ghana’s major political parties to elect party executives and choose parliamentary and presidential candidates.
The ruling means that, once implemented, political parties will be required to open their internal elections to all registered, card-bearing members, significantly expanding the electorate for party primaries and internal contests.
The decision is expected to have far-reaching implications for both the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), which have traditionally relied on delegate conferences to elect their leaders and flagbearers.
The Attorney-General supported the challenge, arguing that the delegate system was inconsistent with the constitutional requirement for democratic internal governance within political parties.
Although two justices dissented, the court’s full reasoning will only become clear when the written judgment is released on August 5, 2026.
The Supreme Court has also given political parties one year to amend their constitutions and internal electoral processes to comply with the ruling.
By: Ekow Annan/newsalertgh.com
