Three prominent elder statespersons have filed a Supreme Court challenge against Ghana’s major political parties, questioning how they select presidential and parliamentary candidates.
The lawsuit, filed on January 23, 2026, is brought by Prof. Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, Dr. Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe, and Dr. Christine Amoako-Nuamah. They argue that the current “delegate-based” systems are unconstitutional and unfair.
“The delegate-based electoral college system restricts voting to selected executives, excluding ordinary members in good standing,” the plaintiffs wrote, describing it as “oligarchic” and in violation of several sections of the 1992 Constitution.
The suit targets the NPP’s Article 13, the NDC’s Articles 43 and 44, and the CPP’s Articles 53, 96, and 77, all of which limit voting to a small group of delegates rather than allowing all members to participate.
The plaintiffs say this method “severely disenfranchises” party members and creates a privileged class of voters.
They are asking the court to declare that internal party elections must reflect the democratic principles in the national constitution, including universal member participation.
The Electoral Commission (EC) has also been named in the case. The plaintiffs allege that the EC has failed to enforce Section 9(a) of the Political Parties Act, which requires parties to organize democratically before registration.
If the court rules in favor of the applicants, it could fundamentally change how political parties conduct their internal elections across the country.
