The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has warned that the Supreme Court's decision striking down the delegate system for internal party elections will significantly increase the cost of organising party primaries, placing a heavy financial burden on political parties.

Speaking on Joy FM’s Midday News on Wednesday, August 5, the party's Director of Elections, Evans Nimako, said the judgment would require political parties to organise larger-scale internal elections, making the process far more expensive than under the delegate system.

"In the face of it, this is going to be a huge burden on political parties," he said.

Mr. Nimako explained that while concerns about the influence of money in internal elections are legitimate, replacing the delegate system with broader participation comes with significant financial implications that cannot be ignored.

He noted that the cost of conducting nationwide internal elections would rise considerably, particularly for parties with large memberships spread across the country.

The NPP official's comments come after National Democratic Congress (NDC) Chairman Johnson Asiedu Nketiah revealed that the NDC spent about GH¢40 million on its 2014 internal elections and proposed that the state should finance internal political party elections.

Mr. Nimako said the debate over public funding for political parties has existed for years and should now be revisited in light of the Supreme Court's decision.

"I think that the issue of state funding of political parties has been on the burner for a very long time," he said, recalling discussions among political parties represented in Parliament and the Institute of Economic Affairs on proposals for state financing.

He, however, cautioned that any move to introduce state funding must be accompanied by a sound legal framework to prevent abuse.

"The other twist is that if you do not have the right legal framework, you are likely to open the floodgates and allow the creation and formation of political parties," he said.

Mr. Nimako also reiterated the NPP's opposition to the Supreme Court's ruling, arguing that the delegate system remains an important feature of Ghana's democratic process.

"This issue of the judgment by the Supreme Court is something that the New Patriotic Party did not really support because we knew that if you want to ensure the growth of democracy, you need to have viable political parties. And the issue of delegateship is part of democracy," he stated.

He urged the public to focus on the reasoning behind the judgment and assess whether it addresses the underlying concerns about internal party elections.

"The question that we need to ask is: what does the judgment seek to kill? It is important for us to assess the judgment and follow the reasoning of the Supreme Court," he said.

Mr. Nimako further argued that rather than abolishing the delegate system, authorities should strengthen the enforcement of existing electoral laws that criminalise bribery, treating and other electoral offences.

"If you want to cure the issue of moneycracy, why aren't we able to enforce these laws?" he asked.