Name and shame vote-buying parliamentary aspirants — GACC tells NPP

Executive Secretary of Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC), Linda Ofori-Kwafo has charged the leadership of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to name and shame its parliamentary candidates and aspirants who shared money for votes in the recent parliamentary primaries.

Some defeated New Patriotic Party (NPP) Parliamentary aspirants have attributed their loss to vote buying in the recent contest.

Also, some aspirants and their followers allegedly invoked the dreaded Antoa Nyamaa river deity and other river gods to force delegates to vote for them after doling out cash to the voters.

According to some defeated aspirants the delegates who took the money were compelled to vote for the aspirants for fear of incurring the wrath of ‘Antoa’ river deity.

But speaking Monday on Adom FM’s “Burning Issues” programme with Afia Pokua which was also broadcast live on Asempa FM, Linda Ofori-Kwafo called on the party leadership to find lasting solution to the situation.

“As a delegate you must consider the interest of the country first and vote for people who will change the fortunes of the country instead of taking money to vote for incompetent people”, said Ofori-Kwafo.

“Money sharing and vote buying have made Ghana’s democracy very expensive. This trend is worrying and a threat to Ghana’s democracy”, GACC Executive Secretary stated.

She stressed the need to educate the delegates about the dangers of vote-buying and urged them to fight the canker.

Ofori-Kwafo says the delegates must think of the future of their children and reject paltry sums of money intended as bribes for votes.

She has therefore admonished delegates of the main opposition New Patriotic Party to shun parliamentary-aspirants who attempt to buy their vote ahead the 2016 general elections, adding that the various political parties must educate their members.

On the same programme, a senior Lecturer and Policy Analyst at the Department of History and Political Science at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Dr. Edward Brenya, said to curb the menace, the delegates need proper education on the consequence of vote buying to democracy at large.

He stated that the various political parties must also expand their Electoral College to allow more people to exercise their right and ensure transparency in the voting systems.

Dr. Brenya also advised the electorate and delegates to reject any political figure who pay money for their votes.