Money is killing politics in Africa - Alban Bagbin

Ghana’s Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Bagbin, has said democracy is currently under siege.

According to him, when money becomes the primary measure of political success, public office is no longer a public trust but an “investment to be recovered”.

The Speaker of Parliament was speaking at a high-level regional convening on the financialization of politics in Africa in Accra.

To him, opaque campaign financing, vote buying, and state capture are eroding public trust and driving citizens away from the political process.

He believes that there is a crisis of democratic integrity that requires urgent, practical solutions—not just diagnosis.

Bagbin proudly highlighted Ghana’s pivotal role in securing the adoption of UN Resolution 11/7 at the Conference of State Parties (CoSP 11) in Doha, December 2025. Co-sponsored with Norway and Mongolia, the resolution demands transparency in the funding of political parties, candidates, and election campaigns.

He announced major institutional reforms under his leadership, including the creation of a Legal and Governance Services Division with dedicated departments for Anti-Corruption, Investigations, and Human Rights, as well as a new Ethics and Standards Committee supported by an independent Commissioner.

As President of APNAC and Vice President of GOPAC, Bagbin challenged fellow parliamentarians to lead the charge, posing tough questions about fairness, transparency, and public confidence.