Two prominent figures of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng and Dr Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe, along with a senior member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Dr Christine Amoako-Nuamah, have approached the Supreme Court to challenge how Ghana’s political parties select their candidates.
The three plaintiffs have invoked the court’s original jurisdiction, seeking what they describe as a proper constitutional interpretation of the rules governing the election of presidential and parliamentary candidates within political parties.
Represented by their lawyer, Oliver Barker-Vormawor, the plaintiffs argue that the delegate-based systems employed by major parties limit participation and exclude large numbers of ordinary members from the decision-making process.
The suit names the NPP, NDC, Convention People’s Party (CPP), the Electoral Commission, and the Attorney-General as respondents.
In their filing, the plaintiffs contend that the selection of candidates is a fundamental aspect of a party’s internal organisation under Article 55(5) of the 1992 Constitution and must uphold democratic principles.
They are asking the court to declare that political parties are required to guarantee equal political participation and voting rights for all members when choosing candidates.
According to the plaintiffs, democracy within parties should involve broad and meaningful participation, leadership accountability, and voting processes that are substantially equal and as direct as possible.
They are also urging the court to strike down the existing delegate-based Electoral College and Extraordinary Constituency Delegates Conference arrangements, arguing that these systems confine voting to selected executives and delegates, effectively disenfranchising the wider party membership.
Additionally, the suit seeks an order compelling the NPP, NDC, and CPP to amend their constitutions to introduce procedures that allow equal, direct, and meaningful participation of all members in good standing.
The plaintiffs further want the Electoral Commission to be mandated to supervise and enforce compliance with these constitutional standards during internal party elections.
They argue that restricting voting to a narrow group of office holders and delegates violates the spirit and letter of the Constitution, particularly the Preamble and Articles 1, 17, 33(5), 42 and 55(5) of the 1992 Constitution.
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