The Supreme Court has ruled that political parties can no longer rely on a delegate system to choose their presidential and parliamentary candidates.
In a 5-2 majority decision, the apex court held that all registered members of a political party must be given the opportunity to participate in the election of candidates to represent the party in presidential and parliamentary elections.
The seven-member panel, chaired by Acting Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, has consequently given political parties one year from the date of the judgment to make the necessary changes to their internal electoral systems.
The court is expected to make available the full reasons behind the majority decision by August 5, 2026.
The constitutional action was brought before the court by three senior citizens — Prof. Frimpong Boateng, Dr. Nyaho Nyaho Tamakloe and Dr. Christine Amoako-Nuamah.
Their action challenged the system under which political parties restrict the selection of presidential and parliamentary candidates to a defined group of delegates rather than allowing the wider party membership to participate.
The judgment will require political parties that currently use delegates for their primaries to review their procedures and make them accessible to their registered members within the timeframe set by the court.
Background
Political parties in Ghana have traditionally relied on various categories of delegates to elect candidates for national elections.
These delegates are selected from different levels of the parties and vote on behalf of the broader membership.
The case brought by the three senior citizens questioned whether that arrangement was consistent with the Constitution, ultimately resulting in Wednesday’s majority decision requiring wider participation in party primaries.
The Supreme Court’s ruling means political parties will now have to restructure their internal electoral systems within the one-year period ordered by the court.
