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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 October 2020, there are 29 political parties listed on the website of the Electoral Commission of Ghana. [3] 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. [4] In 2018, there were 24 political parties listed on the website. [5] There were 30 registered political parties on the list of the Electoral Commission of Ghana during the Fourth Republic in 2012. [6] [7]
| 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 | |
(*Parties in bold have indicated some degree of involvement with 2020 general election)
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.
The Convention People's Party (CPP) is a socialist political party in Ghana based on the ideas of the first President of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah. The CPP was formed in June 1949 after Nkrumah broke away from the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC).
The National Convention Party (NCP) is a political party in Ghana that existed between 1992 and January 1996.
Joseph Kwame Kyeretwie Boakye Danquah was a Ghanaian politician, scholar, lawyer and statesman. He was a politician in pre- and post-colonial Ghana, which was formerly the Gold Coast, and is credited with giving Ghana its current name.
The Parliament of Ghana is the legislative body of the Government of Ghana.
The United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC) was first nationalist movement with the aim of self-government " in the shortest possible time" founded in August 1947 by educated Africans such as J.B. Danquah, A.G. Grant, R.A. Awoonor-Williams, Edward Akufo Addo, and others, the leadership of the organisation called for the replacement of Chiefs on the Legislative Council with educated persons. whose aim was to bring about Ghanaian independence from their British colonial masters after the Second World War. The United Gold Coast Convention appointed its leaders to include Kwame Nkrumah, who was the Secretary General. However, upon an allegation for plans against Nkrumah's leadership, he was arrested and jailed. The UGCC leadership broke up and Kwame Nkrumah went on a separate way to set up the Convention People's Party (CPP) for the purpose of self-governance. The UGCC was founded in Saltpond.
Ako Adjei, was a Ghanaian statesman, politician, lawyer and journalist. He was a member of the United Gold Coast Convention and one of six leaders who were detained during Ghana's struggle for political independence from Britain, a group famously called The Big Six. He has been recognized as a founding father of Ghana for his active participation in the immediate politics of Ghana's pre-independence era. Adjei became a member of parliament as a Convention People's Party candidate in 1954 and held ministerial offices until 1962 when as Minister for Foreign Affairs he was wrongfully detained for the Kulungugu bomb attack.
Obed Yao Asamoah is a Ghanaian lawyer, academic and politician. Asamoah was the longest serving foreign minister and Attorney General of Ghana under Jerry Rawlings from 1981 to 1997. Asamoah was educated at King's College London and at Columbia University.
Ernest Eggay Kwesi Kurankyi-Taylor was a prominent Ghanaian judge and activist.
The United Party was the main opposition party in the First Republic of Ghana. It was the only opposition party throughout its existence from 1957 until 1964 when Ghana became a one party state.
Samia Yaba Christina Nkrumah is a Ghanaian politician and former chairperson of the Convention People's Party, making her the first woman to ever head a major political party in Ghana (CPP). In the 2008 parliamentary election, she won the Jomoro constituency seat at her first attempt. She is the daughter of Kwame Nkrumah, first President of Ghana.
Founders' Day is a national public holiday observed to commemorate the contributions of all the people, notably the "Big Six" who led the struggle for Ghana's independence. The Founder's Day was formerly called "Founder's Day" with the letter "S" appearing after an apostrophe and it was celebrated to earmark the achievements of Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.
Hannah Esi Badu Kudjoe, née Hannah Dadson, was a prominent activist for Ghanaian independence in the 1940s and 1950s. She was one of the first high-profile female nationalists in the movement, and was the National Propaganda Secretary for the Convention People's Party. She was a political activist during the government of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. She was also an active philanthropist and worked to improve women's lives in Northern Ghana. Hannah had the ability to bring people together. She was able to convince others to support and fight for independence. She helped Kwame Nkrumah in bringing people to join the CPP and support it. She once helped the Big Six when they were arrested by bringing people together to call for their release by the colonial government.
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.
Adeline Sylvia Eugenia Ama Yeboakua Akufo-Addo was a First Lady in the second republic of Ghana as the wife of Edward Akufo-Addo and mother of Ghanaian president Nana Akufo-Addo.
The National Democratic Party (NDP) was a right-wing political party active in the Gold Coast in the early 1950s.
The All People's Party was a former political party in Ghana. It was formed by the merger between the Popular Front Party (PFP) led by Victor Owusu, the United National Convention (UNC) led by William Ofori Atta and other parties in June 1981. It became the main opposition party in Ghana during the Third Republic until the military coup d'état on 31 December 1981 after which all political parties were banned by the Provisional National Defence Council. The ruling party at the time was the People's National Party under President Hilla Limann.
Gershon Ashie Nikoi was a Ghanaian politician, Pan-African activist, and a farmer. He was a founding member of the Convention People's Party (C.P.P.) and founder of the Ghana Farmers' Congress.
The Danquah-Dombo-Busia tradition is the oldest surviving political tradition in Ghana that dates as far back as 1947, before Ghana attained independence. The main political figures this tradition stems from are Dr JB Danquah, Dr Kofi Abrefa Busia and Simon Diedong Dombo