The East NDC parliamentary primary has reignited debates on inducements in internal party elections, with Mussa Dankwah, executive director of Global Info Analytics, saying last-minute vote buying continues to undermine polling accuracy and democratic integrity.
Speaking on the Asaase Breakfast Show on Monday (9 February), Dankwah said his polling had predicted a win for Hajia Amina Adam but the final results went the other way. He attributed the discrepancy to inducements and last-minute material incentives offered to delegates.
“In a small delegate-based election, influencing even half of a few thousand people is significant. It increases the likelihood of polling errors, especially when motorbikes, televisions, and other items are given on voting day,” he said.
Dankwah warned that the practice of inducement had become normalised in Ghanaian politics, noting that delegates often vote based on material benefits rather than ideology, track record, or policy.
He called for stricter reforms, including barring candidates implicated in vote buying from contesting reruns and enhancing party oversight of internal elections.
He also recommended expanding the electoral roll for party primaries to reduce susceptibility to inducements, and suggested stronger regulatory mechanisms to ensure transparency in campaign financing.
“If political parties enforce these measures, it will serve as a deterrent and gradually reduce the incidence of vote buying,” Dankwah said.
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