Delegates System Ruling: Gary Nimako cites financial burden of direct party primaries

The Director of Legal Affairs of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Gary Nimako Marfo, has raised concerns about the financial implications of the Supreme Court’s ruling scrapping the delegate system used by political parties to elect their presidential and parliamentary candidates.

His comments come after the Supreme Court declared the delegate system unconstitutional and directed all political parties to implement a system that allows every member in good standing to participate in their internal primaries within one year.

Speaking in an interview on The Point of View on Channel One TV on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, Gary Nimako Marfo said political parties are voluntary organisations governed by their own constitutions and have traditionally financed their internal electoral processes through party funds, donations, sponsorships and contributions from aspirants.

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“Political parties, first of all, are voluntary organisations. They are organisations that are being run by their own internal constitution,” he said.

He noted that even under the existing delegate system, political parties incur considerable expenses in organising internal elections, with the cost shared among the parties and other stakeholders.

According to him, allowing every card-bearing member in good standing to vote in party primaries would significantly increase the financial burden on political parties.

“Now, if you say that all card-bearing members in good standing should take part in the processes and the political party is unable to raise money to organise such elections, how is the order of the court going to be enforced?” he questioned.

He further argued that the judgment leaves critical questions unanswered, particularly regarding who will bear the cost of conducting nationwide direct primaries.

“Elections are about cost. So I have a question. Who is going to fund the elections? Is it the state that is going to fund the elections? Is it the political party that is going to fund the elections? Who will bear the cost of funding the elections?” he asked.

Nimako Marfo stressed that judicial decisions must be capable of practical implementation, insisting that court directives should not create situations that are impossible to execute.

“A court does not make orders in vain. Court orders are meant to be enforced,” he said.

Gary Nimako Marfo added that there is still no clear explanation as to how political parties, particularly those with limited financial capacity, are expected to fund the expanded electoral process required under the Supreme Court’s directive.

ANAS/MA

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