The Member of Parliament for Berekum West Constituency, Dickson Kyere Dua, has attributed the growing monetisation of Ghana’s politics to the New Patriotic Party (NPP), insisting that the practice did not originate from the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
According to him, the NPP has no moral right to complain about allegations of vote-buying at the recent NDC parliamentary primaries in Ayawaso East, because similar incidents were witnessed during the NPP presidential primaries held on January 31, 2026.
He noted that reports and observations from the NPP primaries clearly indicated that money was distributed to influence delegates, making it hypocritical for the party to accuse only the NDC of inducement.
“We should be very clear. If we are talking about the monetisation of our politics, it was the NPP that started it. They cannot pretend they are clean and accuse only one party,” he stated.
Mr Kyere Dua stressed that the issue of vote-buying must be addressed holistically, adding that no political party is immune from such practices.
He explained that acknowledging the existence of monetisation across the political divide is the first step toward finding lasting solutions.
“When we admit that these things exist and no political party is exempt, then we can begin to find solutions. But if you absolve yourself and claim it is only the stock-in-trade of another party, that is where the problem lies,” he said.
The MP further traced the rise of political monetisation to the year 2000, noting that the country’s elections in 1992 and 1996 were largely free from such practices.
He argued that since 2000, the situation has worsened and has remained a permanent feature of Ghana’s politics, blaming the NPP as the “worst culprit” in the development of the culture.
He therefore called on all political parties to commit to ending the growing influence of money in elections to protect Ghana’s democracy.
Story: Nyamebeye Kofi Ansah Sasraku