There are defining moments in a political tradition when a single administrative directive reveals the character of the institution far more profoundly than any manifesto or rallying speech. Democracy does not only falter when tanks roll onto streets—it also falters when procedure replaces principle, when convenience overrides justice, and when institutional bodies forget the constitutional scaffolding that gives them authority.
The Presidential Elections Committee’s (PEC) declaration that “There shall be NO PROXY voting” in the January 31, 2026, Presidential Primary is one such moment—a moment that tests the courage, intellectual honesty, constitutional fidelity, and democratic maturity of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
1. Regulation 25 of C.I. 127: The Legal Bar the PEC Cannot Lower
Ghana’s Public Elections Regulations, 2020 (C.I. 127), Regulation 25, is unequivocal:
A registered voter who, due to ill health or absence from their constituency, cannot be present on polling day may vote by proxy.
This is not discretionary generosity—it is statutory law.
If the Electoral Commission can administer proxy voting for millions, it is intellectually implausible for an internal party body to claim incapacity to manage it for fewer than 1,200 accredited delegates. A party cannot profess allegiance to the rule of law while constructing internal rules more restrictive than the national standard.
2. History and Convention: Proxy Voting as a Pillar of NPP Internal Democracy
For decades, proxy voting has been a settled convention of the NPP and External Branch delegates who could not travel exercised their franchise through proxies—without controversy, without suspicion, and without any record of abuse or rigging.
To attempt to abolish this long-standing mechanism is neither strategic reform nor administrative evolution. It is an abrupt departure from a democratic tradition that has served the party and its External Branches faithfully. Proxy voting cannot and must not be sacrificed on the altar of convenience of PEC.
3. Diaspora Participation: When Voting Becomes a USD 3.6 Million Burden
The External Branches represent the most diverse, globally positioned, and financially dependable structure of the party. The PEC’s directive effectively demands that External Branches collectively absorb a cost exceeding USD 3.6 million merely to cast a ballot.
This economic burden is not only unwise but irrational, exclusionary, and inconsistent with a party that relies on diaspora support. The External Branches’ proposal of secure electronic voting, regional cluster voting, and supervised branch-level balloting—were progressive, forward-looking, cost-effective, and technologically aligned with the party’s digitalization legacy. The PEC’s refusal to consider these options reflects a troubling unwillingness to innovate.
4. Constitutional Authority: The Limits of an Ad-Hoc Committee
The NPP Constitution is explicit:
Only the National Executive Committee (NEC), in consultation with the National Council, can set rules for presidential primaries.
The PEC is an implementing arm, not a law-making authority. A directive that disenfranchises constitutionally recognized delegates without consultation, justification, or alternatives exceeds its mandate and risks being ultra vires.
5. Democratic Consistency: Expanding Delegates While Restricting Voting Rights
The party commendably expanded External Branch representation. Yet this expansion becomes hollow if participation is restricted. Representation without accessibility is democratic theatre, not democratic practice. A system that requires delegates to spend USD 3,000 to vote becomes an internal means test, not a celebration of party inclusiveness.
6. Natural Justice and Legitimate Expectation
Decades of consistent proxy voting have created legitimate expectations. Abruptly abandoning this system without consultation or alternatives contradicts principles of natural justice. Democracy is not only about what rules exist but whether changes to those rules are fair, reasonable, and procedurally sound.
7. On Integrity: The Argument That Collapses Under Scrutiny If proxy voting undermines electoral integrity:
– Why has the Electoral Commission used it without scandal?
– Why has the NPP used it for decades without dispute?
– Why not strengthen the system rather than abolish it entirely?
Rejecting proxy voting is not an integrity measure, it is an admission of administrative deficiency.
8. Democracy Begins at Home
The NPP has built its national identity on constitutionalism, institutionalism, and democratic values cannot now surrender a long-held principle for committee’s convenience. A party that aspires to govern a republic cannot disenfranchise its own global membership.
Conclusion: The Path Forward
The honorable and constitutional path is clear:
– The NEC must set aside the PEC’s directive as exceeding its remit.
– Proxy voting must be reinstated with strengthened oversight.
– Alternative voting mechanisms must be seriously explored.
– Structured dialogue must replace unilateralism.
This debate is not merely procedural—it is existential. It defines the party’s fidelity to its values, its respect for its global membership, and its commitment to constitutional order.
If the NPP truly believes in “Development in Freedom,” it must protect the right of every accredited delegate, home or abroad to vote. Democracy does not retreat at the borders of Ghana; neither should the ballot.