Stop Vote-Buying – NDC Group Cautions Party Members

Patrick Ndego, The Convener Eagle Eyesight, has called on the members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to desist from vote-buying within the party ahead of National Democratic Congress’s (NDC) presidential primaries on Saturday, May 13.

Speaking to the media at a press conference on 8th May 2023, Patrick Ndego said vote-buying is distorting the NDC party and must be addressed immediately.

“We have seen many situations where aspirants dish all kindsof incentives to voters. It is wrong. All we want is fairness looking at our previous elections candidates who pays huge sums of money are the people who end up losing. Our motive is that any candidate who will give you money to vote for him is against NDC because they want NDC to select weak candidates for NPP to win the general and parliamentary elections. We have had several calls from different constituencies that people are giving out money which is not the best. We are not afraid of any constituency Chairman or Secretary we will face anyone who will try vote buying in the upcoming National Democratic Congress’s (NDC) presidential primaries on Saturday.”

According to Patrick Ndego, the problem of vote-buying remains a threat to Ghana’s democracy as it poses serious challenges to free and fair elections and the legitimacy of political officeholders.

Many stakeholders within the political space as well as leaders of civil society organisations have been calling for the need for a systematic monitoring of the issue of vote-buying during campaign periods for the purposes of naming and shaming political parties that engage in the practice in order to reduce or cure the canker.

The NDC’s presidential and parliamentary primaries, which will choose a flagbearer and parliamentary candidates for the 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections, will take place on Saturday, May 13.