Ayawaso East vote-buying scandal an affront to democracy – NPP

The Director of Communications of the New Patriotic Party, Richard Ahiagbah, has described the irregularities surrounding the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Ayawaso East parliamentary primary as a serious threat to Ghana’s democratic values, calling for collective action to protect the integrity of the electoral process.

His comments come amid growing political tension following incidents of vote buying during the NDC’s Ayawaso East parliamentary primary held on Saturday, February 7.

Delegates received 32-inch television sets and boiled eggs from the camp of Mohammed Baba Jamal Ahmed. The NDC has since constituted a three-member committee, chaired by former Minister of Information, Kofi Totobi Quakyi, to investigate the claims and recommend sanctions and reforms.

President John Dramani Mahama has recalled Baba Jamal from his post as Ghana’s High Commissioner to Nigeria, further intensifying scrutiny over the conduct of the Ayawaso East primary. The NDC Majority Caucus has also called for the annulment of the primary.

Reacting to the issue on the Channel One Newsroom on Sunday, February 8, Ahiagbah said the events in Ayawaso East were too obvious to ignore, describing them as an affront to the law and a distortion of democracy.

According to him, such actions undermine citizen power and weaken the ability of voters to influence national development through the free choice of their representatives.

“What happened in Ayawaso East was glaring and egregious, right in our faces,” he said. “Beyond being unlawful, it distorts democracy and minimises the impact of citizen power in shaping the country’s development through elections.”

Ahiagbah welcomed the involvement of the Office of the Special Prosecutor in the matter but expressed cautious optimism, citing previous instances where similar probes failed to yield decisive outcomes.

He noted that while investigations are important, public confidence depends on whether such engagements lead to concrete action.

“The key issue for me is the NDC’s call for a probe and, at the same time, the Majority’s demand for annulment,” Ahiagbah said, adding that Ghanaians have not found the unfolding situation amusing at all.