NPP polls: Probe allegations of vote-buying – UEW lecturer

A political science lecturer at the University of Education, Winneba (UEW) in the Central Region has called on the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service to launch an investigation into the allegations of vote-buying as alleged by a National Chairman hopeful in the just-ended national delegates conference of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) held in the Greater Accra Region.

Dr. Ebenezer Amano Tei-Lartey explained that the allegations by Stephen Asamoah Boateng against the subsequent winner of the delegates’ election, Stephen Ayesnu Ntim is serious hence the need for the investigations to clear the air.

Dr. Tei-Lartey made the call in an interview with Kwame Obeng Sarkodie on the Ghana Yensom morning show on Accra 100.5 FM on Monday, July 18, 2022.

“Even though it remains an allegation, the practice of vote-buying is fast becoming part of Ghana’s political fabric. This is a disturbing development every well-meaning Ghanaian must be worried about,” he said.

“In recent times you hear voters threatening the government, District Chief Executives, and their Members of Parliament with the phrase: ‘no road, no vote’ among others across the country,” he maintained.

He said these are all forms of vote-buying where the person involved is made to provide the items that are being demanded before the vote is cast for him or her to get elected to the high office.

He noted that delegates are expected to be sophisticated people who take a decision on personalities to vote for in a political party but the situation of vote-buying has over the years derailed their efforts at voting for officers into high political office in the country based on competence.

“We have seen it manifests itself in the delegates' choice of Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs), party officers, and Members of Parliament (MPs),” he said.

He noted that the allegation by a key member of the NPP such as Stephen Asamoah Boateng must not be taken for granted.

“This is a serious allegation that must warrant an investigation to correct some of these anomalies in politics,” he stated.