Three of Ghana’s most esteemed elder statespersons have initiated a landmark constitutional challenge at the Supreme Court, seeking to abolish the delegate-based electoral systems employed by the country’s major political parties.
The suit, filed on January 23, 2026, was brought by renowned cardiothoracic surgeon Prof. Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, veteran medical practitioner Dr. Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe, and former Minister of State Dr. Christine Amoako-Nuamah.
The plaintiffs contend that the internal electoral structures of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), National Democratic Congress (NDC), and Convention People’s Party (CPP) undermine the democratic spirit and letter of the 1992 Constitution. Central to the case is what they describe as a “restricted electoral college” system, where only party executives and selected delegates are permitted to vote in presidential and parliamentary primaries.
According to the writ, this system disenfranchises hundreds of thousands of ordinary party members in good standing. “The delegate-based Electoral College system… which confines voting to specified executives to the exclusion of members in good standing of the party, contravenes the Preamble and Articles 1, 17, 33(5), 35(6)(d), 42 and 55(5) of the 1992 Constitution,” the plaintiffs assert.
The legal team, led by activist-lawyer Oliver Barker-Vormawor, is urging the Supreme Court to mandate that political parties adopt internal electoral processes reflecting the same democratic principles governing national elections. If upheld, this could compel parties to introduce universal member suffrage for internal elections.
The suit specifically targets:
Article 13 of the NPP Constitution, which restricts presidential voting to an electoral college;
Articles 43 and 44 of the NDC Constitution, which reinstate delegate-based selection;
Articles 53, 77, and 96 of the CPP Constitution, which mandate a National Delegates Congress system.
The Electoral Commission (EC) has been joined as the fourth defendant, accused of failing to enforce Section 9(a) of the Political Parties Act, 2000 (Act 574), which requires party constitutions to conform to democratic principles.
The plaintiffs are seeking declarations to strike down delegate systems, an order compelling parties to amend their constitutions, and a directive requiring the EC to rigorously vet party rules prior to registration.
If successful, this case could redefine internal party democracy and have profound implications for Ghana’s electoral architecture.