Ghana's Supreme Court has, in a landmark 5–2 majority decision, ruled that all registered members in good standing of political parties must be allowed to vote in the election of their party leaders and candidates, effectively bringing an end to the long-standing delegate system used by the country's major political parties.

The judgment, delivered by a seven-member panel on Wednesday, July 29, marks a major shift in Ghana's political landscape and paves the way for a "one member, one vote" system in internal party elections.

The case was brought before the apex court by former Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, veteran politician Dr. Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe, and former Minister for Lands and Forestry, Dr. Christine Amoako-Nuamah.

The three plaintiffs argued that limiting voting rights to a select group of delegates violated the democratic principles enshrined in Ghana's 1992 Constitution by denying ordinary party members an equal voice in choosing their leaders and candidates.

For decades, political parties such as the New Patriotic Party (NPP), National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the Convention People's Party (CPP) have relied on delegate-based electoral colleges to elect presidential candidates, parliamentary candidates and national executives. 

Under that system, voting was reserved for party executives, constituency officers and accredited delegates, excluding the overwhelming majority of registered members from directly participating in internal elections.

The plaintiffs maintained that the arrangement created inequality within political parties by concentrating voting power in the hands of a privileged few. 

They argued that, as institutions recognized under Article 55 of the Constitution, political parties are required to operate according to democratic principles that guarantee broad participation by their members.

During proceedings, the Attorney-General's Department backed the challenge and urged the Supreme Court to adopt a "one member, one vote" model.

The State argued that political parties perform a vital public function in Ghana's democratic system and that their internal electoral processes should reflect constitutional values of equality, participation and universal suffrage.

According to the Attorney-General, expanding voting rights to all registered members would strengthen accountability, enhance transparency and deepen internal democracy within political parties.

The plaintiffs had asked the court to declare the delegate systems contained in the constitutions of the NPP, NDC and CPP unconstitutional and to compel the parties to amend their constitutions to allow equal, direct and meaningful participation by all members in good standing.

They also sought an order directing the Electoral Commission to ensure that political party constitutions comply with the democratic requirements of the 1992 Constitution and the Political Parties Act.

The ruling is expected to have far-reaching implications for the organization of political parties and the conduct of future presidential, parliamentary and national executive elections, fundamentally reshaping how political leaders and candidates are elected in Ghana.