Deputy Attorney General Justice Srem-Sai has revealed that the Attorney General’s Department has formally submitted legal arguments in support of a landmark constitutional case seeking to grant every registered member of political parties the right to participate in internal party primaries across Ghana.
In a statement published on Facebook on Tuesday, Dr. Srem Sai described the legal action, widely referred to as the “Anti Delegate System” case, as one of the most significant constitutional disputes to emerge under Ghana’s Fourth Republic, given its potential impact on democratic participation and internal party governance.
According to the Deputy Attorney General, the suit was initiated at the Supreme Court of Ghana by renowned heart surgeon and former minister Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, veteran politician Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe, and former minister Christine Amoako-Nuamah.
The plaintiffs are being represented by activist and legal practitioner Oliver Barker-Vormawor, who is leading arguments challenging the existing delegate structure used by political parties during the election of parliamentary candidates and national executives.
Under the current arrangement adopted by many political parties, only selected delegates are permitted to vote during primary contests, a practice critics argue restricts wider participation among ordinary party members and centralises influence within a limited political class.
Dr. Srem Sai explained that the plaintiffs are requesting the Supreme Court to declare that every registered member in good standing within a political party should possess the constitutional right to vote in internal party elections and primaries.
He further disclosed that the state has aligned itself with the plaintiffs’ position, arguing before the apex court that expanding voting rights within political parties could substantially strengthen democratic accountability, transparency, and participation within Ghana’s political system.
According to the Deputy Attorney General, government believes such a judicial declaration could produce meaningful democratic reforms by reducing excessive concentration of authority among a small group of party delegates and encouraging broader grassroots involvement in political decision making.
The delegate system has for years attracted criticism from political analysts, governance advocates, and reform campaigners who contend that the arrangement creates opportunities for inducement, manipulation, and vote buying during party primaries while limiting the influence of ordinary party supporters.
