The General Secretary of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), Harold Stephen Ato Eshun, has warned that the growing influence of money in Ghanaian politics poses a serious threat to the country’s democracy.

Speaking at the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) National Delegates Conference, Mr Eshun said the monetisation of politics risks taking political power away from ordinary citizens and replacing merit with financial muscle.

“As we observe the political landscape today, we must speak the truth to power as our democracy is under severe threat from the monetisation of politics,” he said.

He described vote buying as a “dangerous culture” that undermines the integrity of elections and allows wealth to become a decisive factor in determining political leadership.

“When leadership is auctioned by the highest bidder, competence, character and vision are thrown out of the window,” Mr Eshun said.

He called on political parties to work across party lines to end what he described as the “auction block of politics”.

According to him, leadership must be based on a candidate’s record of service, commitment to the people and political vision rather than financial capacity.

“Leadership must be earned through a track record of service, love for people and clear politics and not the depth of a candidate's pockets,” he stressed.

Mr Eshun also urged NPP delegates to elect leaders who demonstrate humility, integrity and a commitment to public service.

He invoked Ghana’s first President Kwame Nkrumah’s call for a “new type of citizen” dedicated to serving the nation.

He further called for political contests to become more focused on issues as Ghana seeks to build what he described as a self-reliant and truly patriotic country.