Abstract

Akpeko Agbevade*, Desmond Tweneboah-Koduah, Samuel Opoku Pimpong

There have been surges in election petitions in Ghana’s fourth republic. Using the rational choice theory and the mixed methods of research, this paper argues that the self-seeking, personal interest and aggrandizement accounts for the political demagogues’ inundation of the courts with election petitions. The outcome of the election petitions has been mixed. Whereas the parliamentary petitions mostly go in favour of the plaintiffs, same cannot be said for the presidential. Election petitions have contributed to electoral politics in Ghana by consolidating democracy, entrenching the judiciary as a democratic pillar and recommendation of reforms to improve future elections. However, these reforms are mostly not implemented hence the fruits of election petitions are not full realized thereby creating a loophole in the system for politicians to always exploit to their advantage.