The Executive Director of the African Institute of Strategic Studies and Senior Lecturer at the University of Cape Coast, Dr. Jonathan Asante Otchere, has called for urgent reforms to Ghana’s internal party electoral system, warning that the current delegate system is deepening monetisation, corruption, and exclusion in political party primaries.
Speaking on Ahotor FM’s political talk show Ye Pɛ Ahunu, the Saturday programme hosted by Nana Dogbe on May 30, 2026, Dr. Asante Otchere explained that party primaries have increasingly become high-cost contests, where aspirants are compelled to spend heavily to secure the support of a limited number of delegates.
He noted that this development undermines merit-based leadership selection, as well-resourced candidates often gain an advantage over more competent but financially constrained contenders, thereby weakening internal democracy and fair competition within political parties.
Dr. Asante Otchere further argued that the system encourages what he described as “political recoupment,” where elected officials feel pressured to recover campaign expenditures after assuming office. According to him, this contributes to inflated contracts, patronage networks, and long-term fiscal strain on the state.
He also raised concern about the conduct of some delegates, noting that the concentrated nature of the system creates room for inducements, bargaining, and political manipulation, which ultimately erodes trust and transparency in internal elections.
On inclusiveness, Dr. Asante Otchere stressed that the delegate system sidelines ordinary party members and young people, limiting broad participation in candidate selection and weakening grassroots involvement in democratic decision-making.
He therefore urged political parties to urgently reconsider and restructure their internal electoral processes to reduce monetisation, improve fairness, and strengthen internal democracy across the political landscape.
Story by Stephen Owusu Mental/Ahotoronline.com