We have to attack vote buyers and sellers with aggression - CDD-Ghana

The Director of Programmes and Policy Engagement at the Centre for Democratic Development-Ghana (CDD-Ghana), Dr. Kojo Pumpuni Asante, has called for the arrest and prosecution of vote-buying and selling politicians.

During an appearance on JoyNews on January 10, 2024, Dr. Kojo Pumpuni Asante argued that such behaviour has the potential to destroy the country’s democracy.

He added that there should be stringent measures to deter offenders.

He is quoted by myjoyonline.com to have said "I think that the sooner we jail both the sellers and the buyers of votes, the better it will be for us. Everybody can tell now that people just do it with impunity.

“They do it in the open, there are a lot of willing takers, people willing to sell their votes, and I think if we don’t stop this behaviour, we’re continuously trying to de-legitimize the democratic process.”

Dr. Kojo Pumpuni Asante added that an aggressive approach is needed to deal with the menace.

“When something is tainted and corrupted, it’s obvious. So, we have to attack it with all the aggression that we need. I am hoping that at least somebody gets jailed; not just the political actors but also the people who are receiving the money; because if that doesn’t happen then people will still think that there’s no accountability; you can do it with impunity and get away.”

In a recent development, the Office of the Special Prosecutor, already investigating allegations against public officials, reportedly arrested Kofi Ofosu Nkansah, the Chief Executive of the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP), for allegedly distributing money to delegates ahead of the New Patriotic Party’s Parliamentary primaries.