Civil society organisation OccupyGhana has renewed its crusade to criminalise the exchange of money and gifts for votes during internal party elections, warning that the “normalisation” of bribery is destroying the roots of Ghanaian democracy.
In a strongly worded letter dated 9th February 2026, the group petitioned the Attorney-General, the Majority Leader, and the Minority Leader, among others, to urgently close the legal loophole that allows intra-party corruption to flourish without criminal sanction.
This was a follow-up to an earlier letter dated 9th October 2023, which called for the practice to be outlawed.
Two years on, vote-buying allegations have rocked the just-ended NDC primaries to elect a candidate for the Ayawaso East by-elections slated for 3rd March 2026.
In the wake of the latest development, OccupyGhana argues that while national elections are governed by strict anti-corruption laws, the lack of explicit penalties for vote buying during internal contests has turned primaries into “mercenary” exercises where financial power displaces merit and competence.
A central pillar of the new proposal is a demand that the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP)—rather than the Attorney-General—be given the exclusive mandate to prosecute internal party electoral crimes.
The group contends that because these offences are inherently political, an independent body is necessary to ensure impartial enforcement and avoid perceived conflicts of interest.
OccupyGhana’s case for OSP intervention includes:
- Abuse of Trust: The group classifies intra-party vote buying as a form of corruption and abuse of public trust, falling squarely within the OSP’s mandate.
- Specialised Expertise: The OSP is better positioned to conduct rigorous, corruption-focused investigations into the complex financial trails often found in primaries.
- Meaningful Deterrence: Moving these cases away from the Executive-controlled Attorney-General’s office would reinforce public confidence in the rule of law.
The petition highlights that internal party elections are not merely private club activities but are the primary mechanism for selecting candidates for high public office.
When these processes are “distorted by financial inducements”, it ensures that corruption is entrenched at the earliest possible stage of leadership.
“Intra-party elections are not peripheral political activities; they are decisive mechanisms through which candidates for public office are selected. When these processes are distorted by financial inducements and material incentives, merit, competence and genuine representation are displaced by monetary influence,” the letter stated.
The group’s renewed call comes at a time of heightened public sensitivity toward electoral integrity, following recent high-profile primary scandals. OccupyGhana has demanded that the government provide a clear timeline for the “initiation of legislative reforms and policy measures” to address the gap.
The letter was widely copied to key constitutional actors, including the Speaker of Parliament, the Chair of the Electoral Commission, and the Special Prosecutor himself.
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Source: www.myjoyonline.com