Investigate vote buying and corruption claims in NPP’s regional elections – Ayariga petitions OSP

Mahama Ayariga, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament for Bawku Central, has petitioned the Office of the Special Prosecutor to investigate the just ended regional elections of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

According to him the widespread allegations of vote buying and corruption should not go uninvestigated.

The NDC MP, who is relying on the Representation of the People Law, 1992 (PNDCL 284) as the basis for his petition, also urged the Ghana Police Service to investigate the allegations and “develop tools for policing elections to political parties’ offices with a view to nipping corruption in the bud.”

“I write to draw your attention to widespread reports in the social media which were equally discussed on the radio, that the offences of corruption, bribery and undue influence did take place at the congresses of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to elect regional executives of the NPP,” the petition said.

Kofi Apaloo, a presidential aspirant of the Liberal Party of Ghana has bemoaned the canker of vote buying in the NDC and the NPP.

He said on Atinka TV on Wednesday, June 1, 2022, that the situation has blocked the minority parties in Ghana from becoming the third force in Ghana’s elections as they are unable to raise resources to the level of the two leading parties.

According to him, until the situation is addressed by the state, it will be difficult for the smaller parties to rub shoulders with the NDC and the NPP in elections.

"The major political parties go into vote-buying. That is the biggest challenge. There is so much vote-buying and the vote-buying cuts across the political parties' leaders," he said.

He also blamed the media for not offering equal opportunities to the lesser-known political parties.

"The media is also focused on the NPP and the NDC. We invite you for programmes you don’t come to, we send people to your shows you don’t give them the opportunity," he said.