The New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) stinging defeat in the 2024 general elections has ignited a profound reckoning within its ranks, thrusting the process of selecting parliamentary and presidential candidates into the spotlight.
This electoral setback has galvanized demands for reform, with critics decrying the current delegate system as a repository for bribery and selectivity, while advocates champion One Member, One Vote (OMOV) as the pinnacle of intraparty democracy.
Yet, a resolute faction attributes the loss solely to governmental missteps, clinging to the status quo. As a devoted NPP member, a private legal practitioner, and a political strategist, I firmly believe OMOV embodies the democratic ideals enshrined in Ghana’s 1992 Constitution and the NPP’s core principles.
However, its hasty adoption, lacking a rigorous membership verification framework, risks mirroring the National Democratic Congress’s (NDC) calamitous OMOV experiment before the 2016 elections.
I propose a sophisticated, two-tiered strategy: broaden the delegate system immediately to enhance inclusivity and reduce the opportunity for bribery of delegates, while collaborating with the NDC and the Electoral Commission (EC) to build a robust membership identification system through the national voter register, laying a solid foundation for OMOV’s future implementation.
The Imperative for Reform
Ghana’s 1992 Constitution enshrines the right of political parties to conduct internal elections with fairness and inclusivity, a principle echoed in the NPP’s Constitution, which mandates transparent candidate selection.
The current delegate-based system, however, confines voting to a select cadre of party officials, polling station executives, and constituency leaders. Designed for efficiency, this mechanism now stands accused of fostering exclusivity, alienating the broader membership, and enabling vote-buying due to its limited voter pool.
The 2024 defeat has sharpened these critiques, with many arguing that the system produced candidates disconnected from the grassroots and eventually undermining the party’s electoral fortunes.
Prominent NPP voices have decried the delegate system’s vulnerability to manipulation, noting that its narrow scope allows candidates to sway voters with financial inducements, eroding the party’s democratic ethos.
The NDC’s panic foray into OMOV before the 2016 elections serves as a sobering cautionary tale. Pressured to democratize, the NDC opened its primaries to all card-bearing members but lacked a reliable mechanism to verify loyalty or eligibility.
The result was chaos: alleged infiltrators from rival parties, including the NPP, disrupted the process, weakening candidate selection and contributing significantly to the NDC’s crushing defeat in 2016. Some NDC leaders later lamented their rushed embrace of OMOV, a warning the NPP must heed. The current delegate system, while constitutionally compliant, is equally untenable.
Its exclusivity fuels perceptions of elitism and facilitates corruption, risking further electoral setbacks and betraying the democratic spirit of Ghana’s Constitution.
OMOV: A Vision Fraught with Challenges
OMOV represents the pinnacle of democratic aspiration, empowering every NPP member to shape the party’s future. It aligns seamlessly with the NPP’s commitment to inclusivity and Ghana’s constitutional mandate for fairness.
By engaging the entire membership, OMOV could yield candidates with robust grassroots support, addressing the disconnect that plagued the 2024 campaign.
Moreover, it would render bribery logistically daunting, as influencing thousands of voters far exceeds the cost of swaying a few hundred delegates. Opponents of One Member, One Vote (OMOV) warn that it could intensify voter apathy in regions marked by deep-seated rivalries, such as between Kusasis and Mamprusis in Kusaug constituencies or Dagbamba and Konkombas in Eastern Corridor constituencies, where supporters of defeated candidates might withdraw or boycott general elections.
Yet, this vulnerability is not exclusive to OMOV; it pervades all candidate selection methods, including the existing delegate system and expanded delegate system. The remedy lies not in dismissing OMOV, but in adeptly addressing post-primary rifts through deliberate reconciliation strategies and robust, inclusive party-building initiatives.
Unfortunately, the path to OMOV is fraught with a peril insurmountable in the immediate. The NPP’s current membership system, reliant on easily obtained party ID cards, lacks rigorous vetting, leaving it vulnerable to infiltration.
The absence of a mechanism to track dues payments – required to assess the test of members in good-standing – further undermines the process. In Ghana’s fluid political landscape, where loyalties can shift, such weaknesses invite sabotage, as the NDC’s 2016 experience starkly illustrates.
Beyond these internal flaws, OMOV demands logistical sophistication and cultural readiness. These challenges necessitate meticulous preparation to ensure OMOV’s success.
A Discerning Strategy Forward
To navigate this pivotal moment, the NPP must pursue a dual approach that marries immediate reform with a long-term vision.
As a transitional step, the NPP should expand the pool of delegates eligible to vote in primaries, incorporating additional polling station executives, electoral area coordinators, active members, and at various other levels up the hierarchy. This would enhance inclusivity, dilute the influence of any single voter, and make bribery prohibitively complex.
Additionally, it would strengthen the party’s grassroots structure, aligning it with the NDC’s superior bodies at the grassroot level. A delegate base numbering in the thousands per constituency, rather than hundreds, would elevate the cost of inducements to an impractical level, restoring trust in the process. This reform aligns with Ghana’s constitutional democratic ideals and addresses the urgent need for greater participation, serving as a bridge to OMOV.
The realization of OMOV demands a national endeavour to fortify intra-party elections against bribery (vote-buying) and infiltration. The NPP should spearhead a coalition with the NDC, leveraging platforms like the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC), to collaborate with the EC on enhancing the national voter register.
Introducing a “political affiliation/allegiance” field, permissible under the Constitution, would allow citizens to declare party loyalty or unaffiliated status, enabling parties to verify membership and safeguard primaries from external interference.
The U.S. closed primary system, where voter registration includes party affiliation, offers a useful model. Concurrently, the NPP must invest in digital infrastructure to track membership data and dues, ensuring only loyal, eligible members participate in OMOV. This partnership with the NDC and EC not only shares the burden of reform but also fosters bipartisan trust, enhancing the credibility of the process.
Elevating Ghana’s Democratic Horizon
The NPP’s reform agenda transcends internal mechanics; it is a clarion call to strengthen Ghana’s democratic fabric. A transparent, inclusive candidate selection process can restore public faith in political institutions, countering perceptions of corruption and elitism.
By expanding the delegate system now and preparing for OMOV, the NPP can set a gold standard for democratic governance, inspiring other parties. This approach resonates with Ghana’s vibrant youth, who demand greater political accountability and participation, ensuring the party remains relevant to a dynamic electorate.
Furthermore, reformed selection processes promise better governance. Candidates chosen through inclusive mechanisms are more likely to reflect constituents’ aspirations, mitigating the policy missteps that precipitated the 2024 defeat.
A successful transition to OMOV, underpinned by a secure membership system, could catalyse innovations like digital voting platforms, revolutionizing electoral management and reinforcing Ghana’s reputation as a democratic beacon in Africa. But even the digital innovation must only come into play after integrity and safety questions are convincingly addressed.
Conclusion
The NPP’s 2024 defeat has laid bare the frailties of its candidate selection process, demanding bold yet prudent reform. The current delegate system, tainted by allegations of corruption, is unsustainable, but a precipitous leap to OMOV risks replicating the NDC’s 2016 misadventure.
By expanding the delegate framework now and forging a strategic alliance with the NDC and the EC to build a secure membership system, the NPP can chart a course toward OMOV that upholds Ghana’s constitutional ideals. This discerning approach not only revitalizes the NPP’s democratic credentials but also elevates Ghana’s political landscape, ensuring a future where the party – and the nation – thrives in democracy. Let us advance with clarity, unity, and unwavering commitment to true and equitable democracy.
About the Author:
Mr. Abdul Razak Wumpini Mohammed, Esq., is a private legal practitioner, political communication strategist, and ardent political activist. A member of the American Bar Association, he draws on a wealth of expertise and passion from discourse on democratic reforms.
