Mary Addah, a member of the committee drafting Ghana’s new National Ethics and Anti-Corruption Action Plan (NEACAP), has called for strict and deterrent measures to address the growing problem of vote-buying in the country’s elections.

Speaking on JoyFM’s Super Morning Show on Tuesday, February 10, Madam Addah warned that Ghana’s failure to impose consistent and punitive sanctions has allowed vote-buying to “degenerate” over the years, weakening public confidence in the electoral process.

“From our perspective, we believe that to be able to deal with this vote-buying issue, we must show commitment and make sure that punishment, if it is meted out, is very punitive, harsh and deterrent,” she said.

Weak Enforcement Undermines Electoral Integrity

Madam Addah highlighted that if sanctions are not strong enough, offenders will continue to exploit the system. She noted that civil society groups and election observers have repeatedly monitored elections, documented instances of vote-buying, and made recommendations to governments and political parties — yet these have largely been ignored.

She also pointed to challenges in prosecuting vote-buying cases, noting the high evidentiary threshold required in criminal courts. “In our system, when it goes to court, the evidence must go beyond a reasonable doubt for adjudication. That has been a major challenge,” she explained.

Role of Political Parties

Madam Addah emphasised the critical role of political parties in enforcing discipline internally, particularly since they determine who qualifies to contest elections on their ticket.

“So far as it is a party process, the party decides who is qualified to stand for election. The party can also decide who does not represent them,” she said, adding that parties must introduce stringent measures and sanctions for parliamentary aspirants and candidates found culpable.

Her comments came amid discussions on alleged vote-buying during the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Ayawaso East constituency primary, where calls have been made for annulment and sanctions against individuals implicated in electoral misconduct.

“This is about signalling. And I believe that signalling is very important in this case,” she stressed.

Call for Proactive Enforcement

Madam Addah urged law enforcement agencies, including the police, to take a more proactive role in investigating electoral offences. She also called on the courts to adjudicate effectively when credible evidence is presented.

“We believe in the justice process. We are not saying the courts should adjudicate wrongly, but when there is evidence, it must be taken into account,” she said.

She warned that Ghana risks losing the fight against vote-buying if enforcement remains weak, describing the current situation as a “disastrous campaign” that is steadily eroding the integrity of the electoral process.