Lawyer and former Member of Parliament for Gomoa West, Alexander Abban, says the Supreme Court’s decision requiring all card-bearing members of political parties in good standing to participate in internal elections could help reduce vote-buying and excessive monetisation in Ghana’s politics.

Speaking on the Asaase Breakfast Show on Thursday (30 July), Abban described the judgment as one of the most consequential constitutional decisions in the Fourth Republic, although he acknowledged it remains open to legal and political debate.

According to him, one of the biggest challenges confronting Ghana’s democracy is the growing influence of money in internal party elections.

“If you intend to become an MP, you are invariably made to become a temporary philanthropist,” he said, explaining that aspirants often spend heavily on communities and individuals merely to secure political support.

Abban warned that the trend risks sidelining capable leaders in favour of wealthy candidates.

“If we don’t take care, we will get a bunch of people congregating as Members of Parliament whose only qualification is that they have money to spare,” he said, arguing that Parliament could eventually be populated by people lacking the capacity to effectively perform legislative duties.

He suggested that expanding the electorate in party primaries may make it harder for aspirants to influence a relatively small group of delegates through financial inducements.

According to him, the Supreme Court may have been motivated by broader policy considerations aimed at strengthening representative democracy and limiting financial influence in internal political contests.

However, Abban cautioned that the decision alone would not eliminate vote-buying.

He noted that candidates with even deeper financial resources could still attempt to influence a much larger electorate by distributing money or gifts across wider constituencies.

“Theoretically yes,” he said when asked whether the ruling would end vote-buying, “but it may also get to the opposite end where only those with much deeper pockets can afford it.”

Abban therefore called for sustained civic education to encourage party members to elect competent leaders based on merit rather than immediate financial incentives.