Accra: The Institute for Democratic Governance (IDEG) and the Civic Forum Initiative (CFI) have called for urgent national measures to address the issue of vote buying and selling within Ghana's electoral process. The two organizations have raised concerns over the threat this practice poses to the country's democratic achievements.
According to Ghana News Agency, IDEG and CFI issued a joint press release expressing 'grave concern' over the persistent monetisation of elections, which was notably evident during the recent National Democratic Congress parliamentary primary for the Ayawaso East constituency by-election set for March 3, 2026. The organizations highlighted that some public reactions from leading political figures suggested that vote buying and selling had become so prevalent that they risked becoming accepted as the 'new normal' within Ghana's democratic framework.
The statement from IDEG and CFI emphasized that vote buying and selling are detrimental to the country's emerging democracy and should not be tolerated as a standard practice in any democratic political culture. They attributed the commercialisation of electoral politics to a lack of a strong values-based connection between voters and the political class, coupled with the near absence of servant leadership within the political system. This scenario has led to the monetisation of electoral politics, where voters exchange their votes for financial and material rewards.
The organizations warned that in such an environment, regulations against bribery and other electoral offences would be ineffective, as enforcement bodies would likely be weakened. They noted that internal party elections are often seen as processes confined to political parties rather than involving the state and agencies like the Electoral Commission (EC).
To combat the situation, IDEG and CFI proposed reforms, including the creation and enforcement of clear guidelines by political party executives to curb vote buying in internal elections. They also recommended expanding the EC's mandate to supervise internal party elections in accordance with the constitutional requirement for political parties to be organized on democratic principles. Additionally, they urged investigative agencies to take concrete actions against electoral inducements and called on the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) to intensify efforts to instill democratic values within political parties.
The statement concluded by warning that if political advancement is based on financial capacity, public office might be treated as a private investment rather than a public trust to be honored.