Co-founder of the Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD), Professor Baffour Agyeman-Duah, has called for the passage of a bill to make the giving of items and inducements during elections illegal.
According to him, vote-buying and inducement are long-standing problems within Ghana’s democratic process, which politicians have exploited for decades to win elections.
Speaking on TV3 and monitored by NewsDesksGH on February 9, Prof. Agyeman-Duah said the controversy surrounding the recall of Mohammed Baba Jamal Ahmed had once again brought the issue into sharp national focus.
“This issue is not a new issue at all. It’s a perineal problem we have in our democratic processes. From the beginning of this republic we know what politicians have done to win votes,” he stated.
“I’m happy that this action by Baba Jamal has brought it back into focus for us to discuss.”
He argued that citizens should not be rewarded with money or items in exchange for exercising their civic duty to vote, and proposed a bill be introduced to curb this practice.
“This is the time for the political parties and all stakeholders to come together to cast a bill that makes giving toward election, just as we have witnessed, a crime. There should be a bill to that effect,” he suggested.
However, Professor Agyeman-Duah noted that political actors will be reluctant to push such reforms because vote-buying largely benefits wealthy candidates.
“I know they will hesitate to pass because, by and large it’s in their favour. Those who have money can buy the elections.”
He stressed that the absence of decisive action over the years has emboldened politicians to engage more openly in inducement.
“Because this has been going on for years, we’ve been talking about it for years and no action has been taken, the politicians have become bolder in doing this kind of naked bribery.”
Professor Agyeman-Duah expressed shock at comments by Baba Jamal justifying the distribution of items during the election period.
“I was very surprised that Baba Jamal could tell the public when he was interviewed that he’s a generous man and gives things every Christmas to people, which is fine, but you cannot say a day or so before or the morning of elections I’m giving these things out, and I’m not sure it will influence them to vote for me.”
“They’ve become so blatant. And if this is the new thing, that our future leaders can come publicly and defend such an act, then only God can help us,” Prof. Agyeman-Duah warned.
President John Dramani Mahama on February 7, ordered the immediate recall of Baba Jamal from his position as Ghana’s High Commissioner to Nigeria.
The recall followed allegations of voter inducement and vote-buying during the NDC parliamentary primary for the Ayawaso East constituency, which Baba Jamal won earlier that day.
Reports and videos from the election showed his campaign distributing items including television sets to delegates during the voting process.
