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This article lists political parties in Ghana .
Ghana has a multi-party system. However, there are two dominant political parties: the National Democratic Congress and the New Patriotic Party. It is extremely difficult for anyone to achieve electoral success under the banner of any other party. [1]
Political parties in Ghana are regulated under the Political Parties Act 574 passed in 2000. This spells out how political parties may be founded, registered and operated. It also specifies how political parties may be funded in Ghana. [2]
As at January 2025, there are 15 political parties according to the Electoral Commission of Ghana. [3] [4] Of these, a total of 11 parties indicated their willingness to participate in the political programmes by the state broadcaster, Ghana Broadcasting Corporation leading up to the 2020 Ghanaian general election. [5] In 2018, there were 24 political parties listed on the website. [6] There were 30 registered political parties on the list of the Electoral Commission of Ghana during the Fourth Republic in 2012. [7] [8]
| Name | Abbr. | Founded | Leader | Political position | Ideology | MPs | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | New Patriotic Party | NPP | 1992 | Nana Akufo-Addo | Centre-right | Liberal conservatism Conservatism Liberalism | 137 / 275 | |
 | National Democratic Congress | NDC | 1992 | Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo | Centre-left | Social democracy | 137 / 275 | |
The following parties were on the list of parties of the Electoral Commission of Ghana but not represented in parliament.
| Name | Abbr. | Founded | Leader | Political position | Ideology | MPs | Last election | Comments | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All People's Congress | APC | 2016 | Hassan Ayariga | 0 | 2024 | Split from PNC | ||||
| Convention People's Party | CPP | 1949 1996 | Nana Frimpomaa Sarpong Kumankumah [9] | 0 | 2024 | Banned 1966, reformed 1996 | ||||
| Great Consolidated Popular Party | GCPP | 1995 | Daniel Augustus Lartey [10] | 0 | 2024 | |||||
| Ghana Freedom Party | GFP | 2012 | Akua Donkor [9] | 0 | 2024 | |||||
| Ghana Union Movement | GUM | 2019 | Christian Kwabena Andrews [10] | 0 | 2024 | |||||
| Liberal Party of Ghana | LPG | 2017 | Kofi Akpaloo [11] | 0 | 2024 | |||||
| National Democratic Party | NDP | 2012 | Mohammed Frimpong [10] | 0 | 2024 | Split from NDC | ||||
| People's National Convention | PNC | 1992 | Bernard Mornah [10] | 0 | 2024 | |||||
| Power Unity Party | PUP | 2019 | Eliahu Boateng | N/A | Not involved in 2020 election | |||||
| Progressive Alliance for Ghana | PAG | 2024 | John Enyonam Kwakwu Kpikpi [10] | 0 | 2024 | Nkrumah tradition | ||||
| Progressive People's Party | PPP | 2012 | Kofi Asamoah Siaw [10] | 0 | 2024 | |||||
| United Development System Party | UDSP | 2012 | Tetteh Kabraham Early | N/A | Not active in 2020 election | |||||
| United Front Party | UFP | 2011 | N/A | 2016 | ||||||
| The Electoral Commission indicates there are 15 parties registered but does not provide a list | ||||||||||
The following parties were formally active in the fourth republic but are no more registered with the Electoral Commission of Ghana.
| Name | Abbr. | Founded | Leader | Political position | Ideology | Last election | Comments | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic Freedom Party | DFP | 2006 | Obed Asamoah | 2008 | Merged with NDC in 2012 [12] | ||||
| Democratic People's Party | DPP | 1992 | Thomas Nuako Ward-Brew | 2016 | |||||
| Every Ghanaian Living Everywhere | EGLE | 1992 | Nana Yaw Boakye Ofori Atta | 2004 | Backed NDC in 2020 election | ||||
| Ghana Democratic Republican Party | GDRP | 1992 | Kofi Amoah | Not involved in 2020 election | |||||
| Ghana National Party | GNP | 2007 | Kobina Amo-Aidoo | 2008 | |||||
| Ghana Redevelopment Party | GRP | ||||||||
| Independent People's Party | IPP | 2011 | Kofi Akpaloo | 2012 | Dissolved in 2017 | ||||
| National Convention Party | NCP | 1992 | Kow Nkensen Arkaah | Nkrumaism | 1996 | Merged with PCP to reform CPP in 1996 [13] | |||
| National Independence Party | NIP | 1992 | Kwabena Darko | Nkrumaism | 1992 Presidential only | Boycotted 1992 parliamentary election. Merged with PHP in 1993, forming PCP | |||
| National Reform Party | NRP | 1999 | Peter Kpordugbe | 2004 | Split from NDC Not involved in 2020 election | ||||
| New Vision Party | NVP | 2008 | Daniel Yaw Nkansah | 2012 | |||||
| People's Destiny Party | PDP | Not involved in 2020 election | |||||||
| People's Convention Party | PCP | 1993 | Festus Busia | Nkrumaism | Merged with NCP to reform CPP in 1996 | ||||
| People's Heritage Party | PHP | 1992 | Emmanuel Erskine | Nkrumaism | 1992 Presidential only | Boycotted 1992 parliamentary election. Merged with NIP in 1993, forming PCP | |||
| Reformed Patriotic Democrats | RPD | 2007 | 2008 | ||||||
| United Democratic Party | UDP | Yaw Kumey | Not involved in 2020 election | ||||||
| United Ghana Movement | UGM | 1996 | Charles Wereko-Brobby | 2000 | |||||
| United Love Party | ULP | 2008 | Ramon Osei Akoto | Could not contest 2008 or 2012 elections | Split from NDC | ||||
| United Progressive Party | UPP | 2016 | Akwasi Addai Odike | 2020 | |||||
| United Renaissance Party | URP | 2007 | Eric Charles Kofi Wayo | 2012 | |||||
| Yes People's Party | YPP | 2012 | Annin – Kofi Addo | 2012 | |||||
During the Third Republic, the following list of parties contested the 1979 general election. The All People's Party was a merger of the opposition parties in parliament formed later. All parties in the Third Republic were banned following the military coup d'etat on 31 December 1981. There would be continuous military rule until after the 1992 general election.
| Name | Abbr. | Founded | Leader | Political position | Ideology | MPs | Last election | Comments | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Action Congress Party | ACP | 1979 | Frank Bernasko | 10 | 1979 | |||||
| All People's Party | APP | 1979 | Victor Owusu | 58 | 1979 | Merger of the parties in opposition- PFP, UNC, SDF and TFP | ||||
| People's National Party | PNP | 1979 | Hilla Limann | Nkrumah tradition | 71 | 1979 | Offshoot of CPP / NAL | |||
| Popular Front Party | PFP | 1979 | Victor Owusu | Danquah/Busia tradition | 42 | 1979 | offshoot of Progress Party | |||
| Social Democratic Front | SDF | 1979 | Ibrahim Mahama | 3 | 1979 | |||||
| Third Force Party | TFP | 1979 | John Bilson | 0 | 1979 | |||||
| United National Convention | UNC | 1979 | William Ofori Atta | 13 | 1979 | |||||
The Second Republic spanned the period from October 1969 to 13 January 1972. This was the period when the Progress Party came to power with Kofi Busia as Prime Minister and Akufo-Addo as ceremonial President. It ended with the military coup d'état which brought the National Redemption Council military government into power. All political parties were banned.
| Name | Abbr. | Founded | Leader | Political position | Ideology | MPs | Last election | Comments | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All People's Republican Party | APRP | 1969 | P. K. K. Quaidoo | 1 | 1969 | |||||
| Justice Party | JP | 1970 | E. R. T. Madjitey | — | merger of NAL, PAP and UNP | |||||
| National Alliance of Liberals | NAL | 1969 | K. A. Gbedemah | 29 | 1969 | offshoot of CPP as CPP was banned | ||||
| People's Action Party | PAP | 1969 | Imoru Ayarna | 2 | 1969 | merged with NAL and UNP to form Justice Party | ||||
| Progress Party | PP | 1969 | K. A. Busia | 105 | 1969 | offshoot of United Party | ||||
| United Nationalist Party | UP | 1969 | H. S. Bannerman | 2 | 1969 | merged with NAL and PAP to form Justice Party | ||||
| Name | Abbr. | Founded | Leader | Political position | Ideology | MPs | Last election | Comments | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Convention People's Party | CPP | 1949 | Kwame Nkrumah | 198 | 1965 | Nkrumah tradition | ||||
| Federation of Youth Organization | FYO | Modesto Apaloo | 1 | 1956 | Merged into United Party in 1957 | |||||
| Ga Shifimo Kpee | GSK | 1957 | 0 | — | Merged into United Party in 1957 | |||||
| Muslim Association Party | MAP | 1954 | Cobina Kessie | 1 | 1956 | Merged into United Party in 1957 | ||||
| National Liberation Movement | NLM | 1954 | Baffour Osei Akoto | 12 | 1956 | Merged into United Party in 1957 | ||||
| Northern People's Party | NPP | 1954 | S.D. Dombo | 15 | 1956 | Merged into United Party in 1957 | ||||
| Togoland Congress | TC | 1951 | S. G. Antor | 2 | 1956 | Merged into United Party in 1957 | ||||
| United Party | UP | 1957 | K. A. Busia | — | Merger of all opposition parties in parliament | |||||
Ghanaian natives were allowed to stand for elections into the Legislative Assembly. There were elections held in 1951, 1954 and 1956 prior to the United Kingdom granting Ghana independence.
| Name | Abbr. | Founded | Leader | Political position | Ideology | MPs | Last election | Comments | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anlo Youth Organisation | AYO | 1952 | Modesto Apaloo | 1 | 1954 | |||||
| Convention People's Party | CPP | 1949 | Kwame Nkrumah | 71 | 1956 | Nkrumah tradition, split from UGCC | ||||
| Federation of Youth Organization | FYO | Modesto Apaloo | 1 | 1956 | Merged into United Party in 1957 | |||||
| Ghana Congress Party | GCP | 1952 | K. A. Busia | 1 | 1954 | Merged into NLM | ||||
| Muslim Association Party | MAP | 1954 | Cobina Kessie | 1 | 1956 | Merged into United Party in 1957 | ||||
| National Democratic Party | NDP | 1950 | Nii Amaa Ollennu | right wing | 0 | 1951 | merged with UGCC in 1952 to form the GCP | |||
| National Liberation Movement | NLM | 1954 | Baffour Osei Akoto | 12 | 1956 | Merged into United Party in 1957 | ||||
| Northern People's Party | NPP | 1954 | S. D. Dombo | 15 | 1956 | Merged into United Party in 1957 | ||||
| Togoland Congress | TC | 1951 | S. G. Antor | 2 | 1956 | Merged into United Party in 1957 | ||||
| United Gold Coast Convention | UGCC | 1947 | Paa Grant | 3 | 1951 | merged with NDP in 1952 to form GCP | ||||
Politics of Ghana takes place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the president of Ghana is both head of state and head of government, and of a two party system. The seat of government is at Golden Jubilee House. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and Parliament. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature.
The Government of Ghana was created as a parliamentary democracy, followed by alternating military and civilian governments in Ghana. In January 1993, military government gave way to the Fourth Republic after presidential and parliamentary elections in late 1992. The 1992 constitution divides powers among a president, parliament, cabinet, council of state, and an independent judiciary. The government is elected by universal suffrage.
John Kofi Agyekum Kufuor is a Ghanaian politician who served as President of Ghana from 7 January 2001 to 7 January 2009. He was a Chairperson of the African Union from 2007 to 2008 and his victory over John Evans Atta Mills at the end of Jerry Rawlings' second term marked the first transition of power in Ghana from a democratic party to another democratic party. Kufuor's career has been spent on the liberal-democratic side of Ghanaian politics, in the parties descended from the United Gold Coast Convention and the United Party. As a lawyer and businessman, he was a minister in Kofi Abrefa Busia's Progress Party government during Ghana's Second Republic, and a Popular Front Party opposition frontbencher during the Third Republic. In the Fourth Republic, Kufuor stood as the New Patriotic Party's candidate at the 1996 election, and then led it to victory in 2000 and 2004. Having served two terms in power, he retired from politics in 2008. He is popularly known as the Gentle Giant.
Jerry John Rawlings was a Ghanaian military officer, aviator and politician who led the country for a brief period in 1979, and then from 1981 to 2001. He led a military junta until 1993, and then served two terms as the democratically elected president of Ghana. He was the longest-serving leader in Ghana's history, presiding over the country for 19 years.
Lieutenant General Akwasi Amankwaa Afrifa was a Ghanaian soldier, farmer, traditional ruler and politician. He was the head of state of Ghana and leader of the military government in 1969 and then chairman of the Presidential Commission between 1969 and 1970. He continued as a farmer and political activist. He was elected a member of Parliament in 1979, but he was executed before he could take his seat. He was executed together with two other former heads of state, General Kutu Acheampong and General Fred Akuffo, and five other generals, in June 1979. He was also popularly referred to by his title Okatakyie Akwasi Amankwaa Afrifa and was in addition the abakomahene of Krobo in the Asante-Mampong Traditional Area of the Ashanti Region of Ghana.
William Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is a Ghanaian politician who served as the 13th president of Ghana from 2017 to 2025. He previously served as Attorney General from 2001 to 2003 and as Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2003 to 2007 under the administration of then-president John Kufuor.
The Electoral Commission of Ghana (EC) is the official body in Ghana responsible for all public elections. Made up of seven members and there are seven (7) functional departments at the Head Office. Each department is headed by a Director who is assisted by Unit Heads. The departments are:- Electoral services; Human Resource; Finance; Training; Administration; Research, Monitoring & Evaluation; Information Technology. its independence is guaranteed by the 1992 Ghana constitution. The current commission was established by the Electoral Commission Act (Act 451) of 1993. Kwadwo Afari-Gyan was the first substantive chairman of the commission in the Fourth Republic of Ghana, from 1993 to 2015. He was succeeded by Charlotte Osei as the first female chairman of the commission from 2015 to June 2018. Jean Adukwei Mensah succeeded Charlotte Osei in July 2018. On December 5, 2018, the Electoral commission chaired by Jean Adukwei Mensah reverted to the old logo showing the Coat of arms of Ghana and a ballot box showing the hand casting its votes, after the controversy over the new logo.
Ghana gained independence from the British on 6 March 1957. It is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. The country became a republic on July 1, 1960.
Progressive People's Party (PPP) is a political party in Ghana. It was formed in 2012 by Paa Kwesi Nduom, a businessman, politician and a former presidential candidate for the Convention People's Party during the 2008 general election. The PPP pulled 64,267 popular votes in the 2012 general elections with Papa Kwesi Nduom as a flagbearer and Brigitte Dzogbenuku as the running mate, making it the third-largest party and the second-largest opposition party in Ghana.
The National Reconciliation Commission was established in January 2002 by the Parliament of Ghana. The goal of the commission was to establish an "accurate, complete and historical record of violations and abuses of human rights inflicted on persons by public institutions and holders of public office during periods of unconstitutional government." The Commission was formed after a new democratic party won the elections in 2000. The Commission covered human rights violations in Ghana from 1957 to 1993. It looked into government abuses and military coups staged by former president Jerry Rawlings. The members of the Commission worked until the end of 2004.
The Ghana Democratic Republican Party is a political party registered in Ghana. It was founded in 1992. Its current leader is Kofi Amoah. It holds no seats in parliament at present.
The Yes People's Party is a political party in Ghana. It was founded in 2012. Its leader is Annin – Kofi Addo. Its offices are based at Dansoman, a suburb of Accra. It was registered in September 2012 by the Electoral Commission of Ghana. Though it fielded a candidate, one Courage Kwame Mensah Azumah in 2012 for the Ketu South Constituency, it could not win the parliamentary seat. It however was unable to field candidates during the Ghanaian general election, 2016.
General elections were held in Ghana on 7 December 2020. Incumbent President Nana Akufo-Addo of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) was re-elected in the first round after securing a majority of the votes. Former President John Dramani Mahama announced that he would contest the results. At the Supreme Court, a petition challenging the result was filed on 30 December, and unanimously dismissed on 4 March 2021 for lack of merit.
The Reformed Patriotic Democrats is a political party in Ghana. It was founded in 2004 and registered with the Electoral Commission of Ghana in 2008. Although it was not involved with the 2020 Ghanaian general election, it is still listed on the website of the commission as a registered party.
The United Renaissance Party is a Ghanaian political party registered with the Electoral Commission of Ghana. It was founded in 2007. The first leader was Kofi Wayo.
The United Love Party (ULP) is a political party in Ghana. It was formed in 2008.
Kofi Koranteng is a Ghanaian activist and politician who used to be the chief executive officer of the Progressive Alliance Movement. He has been a key advocate for the rights of Ghanaians living abroad to be given the chance to vote and be represented in that manner through campaigning for the Representation of the Peoples’ Amendment Act (ROPAA) to be passed. In the run-up to the election in December 2019, he declared his intention to stand for the 2020 Ghana elections as an independent candidate.