The Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Ahmed Ibrahim, has warned that scrapping the political party delegate system could shut out minority groups from Parliament.
Speaking after the Supreme Court’s ruling on Wednesday, July 29, Mr. Ibrahim said while the decision may meet constitutional standards, it poses a social risk. He called the judgment “socially discriminatory,” saying it could favour bigger ethnic blocs in constituency primaries. “If this is the new rule from the Supreme Court, it is right in law but wrong in practice for minority tribes,” he told journalists.
“They stand to lose representation.”He noted that in mixed constituencies, larger communities could easily dominate candidate selection, making it harder for smaller tribes to field and elect their own MPs.Tamale Central MP, Prof. Alidu Mahama Seidu, also raised red flags.
He said opening primaries to all party members in good standing will force aspirants to campaign to far more people, driving up costs. According to Prof. Seidu, the heavier financial burden could push some candidates to seek funding from questionable sources. The Supreme Court on July 29 ruled the delegate system used by parties to choose parliamentary and presidential candidates unconstitutional. The court has given political parties one year to switch to a more inclusive method of selecting candidates.
