A group of prominent political figures drawn from Ghana’s two main parties have turned to the Supreme Court, seeking constitutional clarity on how political parties select their presidential and parliamentary candidates.
The suit, jointly filed by former Environment Minister Prof. Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng and veteran politician Dr Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), together with former minister and National Democratic Congress (NDC) stalwart Dr Christine Amoako-Nuamah, challenges the legality of delegate-based voting systems used by major political parties.
Represented by lawyer Oliver Barker-Vormawor, the plaintiffs are invoking the original jurisdiction of the Supreme Court for what they describe as a “true and proper interpretation” of the 1992 Constitution, particularly provisions governing political participation and internal party democracy.
The action is directed at the NPP, NDC, Convention People’s Party (CPP), the Electoral Commission and the Attorney-General. At the heart of the case is the argument that existing internal electoral arrangements—largely based on limited electoral colleges and delegate conferences—exclude the majority of party members from meaningful participation.
According to the plaintiffs, the selection of party candidates is a core function of political parties and must therefore be conducted in a manner that reflects democratic values enshrined in the Constitution. They argue that restricting voting rights to selected executives and delegates results in what they describe as the “material disenfranchisement” of ordinary party members.
Among the reliefs being sought is a declaration that internal party elections must guarantee equal political participation and substantially equal voting rights for all members in good standing. The plaintiffs are also asking the court to declare current delegate-based systems unconstitutional and to compel the affected parties to amend their constitutions to reflect broader and more direct participation.
In addition, the suit seeks an order directing the Electoral Commission to actively enforce constitutional standards in supervising internal party elections.
The plaintiffs contend that the current arrangements violate the spirit and letter of the Constitution, including provisions in the Preamble and Articles 1, 17, 33(5), 42 and 55(5), which emphasise equality, participation and democratic governance.
If upheld, the case could significantly reshape how Ghana’s political parties conduct their internal elections, with far-reaching implications for candidate selection and internal party accountability ahead of future national contests.
