Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States of America, Victor Smith, has warned that vote-buying is the first step to corruption.

According to the statement released on February 8, 2026, he emphasised that corruption in national life does not begin in office; it begins in the campaign.

“Reject the politics of gifts and embrace the politics of conscience,” the statement said in part.

The statement explained that when money, gifts, food, or favours are distributed to influence voters, it is not generosity but an investment made with the expectation of personal gain.

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“The seed of corruption is planted before the person even takes office,” the statement said.

It further warned of the predictable consequences: once elected, leaders often shift focus from public service to personal recovery. Campaign expenses must be recouped, financiers rewarded, and profits secured with the public purse serving as a reimbursement account for political spending.

“Vote-buying does not just distort elections, it manufactures corruption after elections,” the statement said, noting that tolerating inducements at the ballot box undermines all efforts to fight corruption in government.

“The seed determines the harvest. A corrupted mandate produces corrupted governance,” he stated.

Ambassador Smith’s statement called for a national commitment to reject transactional politics.

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“Leadership must not be purchased. Public office must never become a business venture extracted from the suffering of citizens,” it said.

Highlighting recent events, the statement condemned what happened at Ayawaso East, where televisions, motorcycles, and money were openly distributed to voters.

“This must never be allowed to happen again. Such acts are corruption in the electoral process, and law enforcement agencies must act,” it read.

Quoting Singapore’s founding father, Lee Kuan Yew, the statement concluded: “Elections should never be auctions.”

NA/VPO

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