Political party delegate system faces Supreme Court test after suit by three statespersons

Three well-known public figures have gone to Ghana’s Supreme Court, asking it to rule that the delegate-based method used by major political parties to pick candidates is unconstitutional.

The suit — filed on 23 January 2026 — was brought by Prof Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, Dr Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe, and Dr Christine Amoako-Nuamah.

Targets: internal “electoral college/delegate” voting models in the NPP, NDC and CPP

Also sued: the Electoral Commission (EC), accused of failing to enforce party-registration rules

Core argument: the current systems sideline ordinary party members and create a privileged voting class

In their filings, the plaintiffs argue that the parties’ internal arrangements have evolved into a restricted college of voters — typically executives, office holders and selected delegates — leaving large numbers of rank-and-file members without a vote in crucial internal contests.

They contend that this approach conflicts with constitutional requirements that political parties operate in line with democratic principles, citing multiple provisions of the 1992 Constitution in support of their case.

The action specifically points to provisions in the parties’ constitutions that embed delegate structures for choosing presidential and parliamentary candidates, including:

the NPP’s Article 13 (presidential selection by an electoral college), alongside related provisions on parliamentary selection

the NDC’s Articles 43 and 44 (electoral-college style arrangements)

the CPP’s National Delegates Congress model reflected in its rules

The EC is named as a defendant on the claim it has not done enough to enforce the Political Parties Act requirement that a party’s internal organisation must conform to democratic principles as part of the registration regime.

The plaintiffs are asking the Supreme Court to strike down the delegate-based systems and effectively compel parties to move towards broader member participation in internal elections, rather than restricting voting to a small delegate pool.

Their lawyers are led by Oliver Barker-Vormawor, according to reports and court filings.