The National Democratic Congress (NDC) says it will defend before the Supreme Court the expanded delegate system it introduced for its internal elections, insisting the party cannot now oppose a model it has successfully used to elect both its presidential and parliamentary candidates.
Speaking on Gold Morning Conversation with Sena Numbo, the party’s Director of Legal, Godwin Edudzi Tamakloe, said the NDC has taken a clear position in the ongoing case challenging aspects of delegate participation in political party primaries.
According to him, the party’s legal team has been instructed to support the constitutionality of the broader participation model introduced between 2014 and 2016, arguing that it reflects the NDC’s democratic values and has already been used to elect its flagbearer and parliamentary candidates.
Tamakloe said it would be inconsistent for the party to argue that the same electoral framework under which its current leadership emerged is unconstitutional.
Referring to paragraph 34 of the NDC’s submissions before the Supreme Court, he explained that the party is asking the court, should it uphold the expanded participation model, to direct the Electoral Commission to absorb the cost of conducting such internal elections.
He disclosed that the NDC paid more than GH¢12 million to the Electoral Commission to conduct its most recent internal elections, describing the cost as substantial.
The Supreme Court is expected to deliver its judgment on August 5, 2026, a decision Tamakloe believes will provide clarity on the future of delegate participation in internal party elections.
Touching on party organisation, Tamakloe identified what he described as the “three Ms” of electoral success; Message, Machinery and Messenger, arguing that each plays a critical role in winning political power.
He described branch executives as the foundation of the party’s organisational structure, saying they are responsible for mobilising supporters and therefore expect to participate in key decisions, including the selection of parliamentary and presidential candidates.
Tracing the evolution of the NDC’s internal electoral system, Tamakloe said presidential candidates were previously elected by only nine constituency executives, excluding their deputies. He said the party later expanded the franchise to include the full complement of branch executives in an effort to make the process more representative while limiting participation to those actively engaged in party work.
He added that the latest reforms go even further by extending voting rights to all active, paid-up registered members, while members who have not fulfilled their financial obligations to the party remain ineligible to vote.
According to Tamakloe, this is the basis for the Supreme Court’s decision to grant political parties one year to amend their constitutions and internal rules to comply with the new requirements.
Story by Ruth Quaye
