Vote-buying appears to have been normalised – Nyaho-Tamakloe

Dr. Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe, a Founding Father of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has raised concerns about the apparent normalization of vote-buying in Ghana, stating that it poses a significant threat to the country's democracy.

Dr. Nyaho-Tamakloe expressed dismay over the lack of concern from political party leadership regarding the exchange of monies, even in their internal elections.

In an appearance on the Ghana Tonight show on TV3, Dr. Nyaho-Tamakloe said, "It appears to have been normalized. The various political parties, even in their internal elections, money has been exchanging hands and they don’t even hide it. To me, it is a bit concerning that leadership of the parties are not doing anything about it; they themselves are involved. This poses a threat to our democracy. The moment people with dirty money who don’t care about how they use it can buy their way into our legislature, then as a nation, we are finished."

His comments coincide with concerns raised by former Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC), Dr. Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, who highlighted the dangers of vote-buying and vote-selling to Ghana’s democracy.

Dr. Afari-Gyan emphasized that these practices undermine the democratic process by weakening citizens' ability to hold elected leaders accountable through elections.

During a Constitution Day public lecture organized by the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), and One Ghana Movement, Dr. Afari-Gyan described vote-buying as a "shameful spectacle."

He stressed that "Vote-buying and vote-selling are unlawful and they undermine two important principles that underpin our democracy. Vote-buying undermines the idea that we choose our leaders out of our free will, and vote-selling undermines the idea that we always hold our elected leaders accountable through elections.”

Both Dr. Nyaho-Tamakloe and Dr. Afari-Gyan emphasized the urgent need to address the normalization of vote-buying to safeguard the integrity of Ghana's democratic processes.

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NAY/AE