TEMA, Ghana, 24th October: The Secretary-General of the Ghana Federation of Labour (GFL), Abraham Koomson, has called for a review of Ghana’s democratic system, arguing that alleged vote buying in elections threatens the country’s development.
His comments follow reports by Ahotor FM’s Eastern Regional Reporter, Eric Nyarko, that some candidates contesting the National Democratic Congress (NDC) constituency elections in Suhum are allegedly distributing fridges, clothes, money and other items to influence voters.
According to Mr Koomson, such practices could give an unfair advantage to wealthy candidates at the expense of competent individuals who lack the financial resources to influence voters.
He warned that if the trend continues, elections could increasingly favour candidates with money rather than those with the ability and competence to serve effectively.
“Our democracy will create problems for us because listening and watching what is going on, it’s troubling. That means no matter how brilliant or intelligent you are, if you don’t have money, forget, because you will not be voted for,” he said.
Speaking on Ahotor FM’s Yepe Ahunu programme on Saturday, October 24, Mr Koomson described the alleged vote-buying attempts as troubling, particularly because they were occurring at the constituency level.
“Me, I am scared. This is just a constituency election. I can’t believe it. What is this, and where is this coming from?” he asked.
Although he commended the NDC for what he described as the effective organisation of the constituency elections, he said the reported attempts to influence voters raised serious concerns about the country’s democratic process.
Mr Koomson argued that Ghana’s current democratic system could undermine national development if the ability to spend money becomes a decisive factor in determining who gets elected into public office.
He maintained that the issue extended beyond Ghana, warning that the practice posed a broader challenge to democratic governance and development across Africa.
“It is very disturbing, and I blame the system. I feel that the democracy we are practising is not good for our development. I am telling you, it is not good for the development of this continent, especially Ghana, and Africa as a whole has a big problem,” he said.
Cites Asia and the United States
To support his argument, Mr Koomson pointed to differences in political systems across countries, citing Japan, China and the United States as examples.
He argued that the approaches to governance in Asian countries differ from those practised in Western democracies, suggesting that Ghana should reconsider aspects of its own system to promote effective leadership and national development.
Referring to US President Donald Trump, Mr Koomson questioned the influence of wealth and political power in determining electoral outcomes.
“If not because Trump has money and influence, how can Trump become the President of America? Because if you assess the candidates’ mental capacity and their actions, and you say everybody can vote, they can use their money to win while they are not mentally sound,” he said.
Mr Koomson further warned that the influence of money and personal interests in electoral politics could have serious consequences for political stability.
He argued that the process of selecting leaders needed to be reconsidered, pointing to the potential implications of electing leaders whose decisions could deepen divisions within their countries.
“The system of selecting or picking leaders must be looked at again. Somebody like Trump wants to maintain his position, and if he uses his money and influence to win again, America might split, the states may break up, and we will not have the United States of America we have because of the mindset of the people that they elect to office,” he stated.
NDC Constituency Elections
The NDC is holding constituency-level elections across the country from Saturday, October 24, to Sunday, October 25, 2026, to elect executives who will manage the party’s affairs at the grassroots level.
Each constituency is expected to elect executives to fill approximately 25 positions.
Mr Koomson’s concerns about alleged vote buying have renewed questions about the influence of money in internal party elections and the potential implications for the quality of leadership produced by Ghana’s democratic process.
Story by: Emmanuel Romeo Tetteh (#RomeoWrites✍️ )
