Vote-buying has become a ‘soft culture’ in Ghanaian politics – Political analyst

Political analyst and Executive Director of the African Institute of Strategic Studies, Dr Jonathan Asante Otchere, has raised concern over the growing normalisation of vote-buying and voter inducement in Ghana’s political space, describing it as a “soft culture” that is gradually becoming entrenched.

Speaking in an interview on JoyNews’ The Pulse on Monday, February 9, Dr Otchere said the practice of offering incentives to delegates and voters during internal party elections has become widespread, despite broad public condemnation.

“There is not a single soul within our body politics that will say that they agree when it comes to this voter inducement, whether you call it vote buying or whichever way you look at it, it has gradually become a soft culture,” he said.

Dr Otchere’s comments come amid allegations of inducements during the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Ayawaso East parliamentary primaries, which have prompted the party to establish a committee to investigate the matter.

He commended the NDC’s decision, describing it as a rare and important step by a major political party at the national level.

“It is probably the very first time that the two main parties… at the national level have decided to look into this particular issue,” he noted.

He said the move signals that the party frowns upon such conduct and recognises the need to protect internal electoral credibility.

Dr Otchere cautioned against treating vote-buying allegations as the actions of a single person, suggesting instead that inducement has become systemic within political contests.

“It is not a single person who got involved in such a situation,” he explained.

He argued that deeper and broader networks may be responsible for the persistence of the problem.

“Other pockets are deeper than others and that is probably the more reason why this has become a problem,” he said.

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