Johnson Asiedu Nketia, National Chairman of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC), says the high cost of contesting parliamentary elections is fueling bribery and corruption in Ghana.
Asiedu Nketia says the amount aspirants spend from primaries to general elections far outweighs what they earn as Members of Parliament for four years, forcing many to find other means to recoup their investments.
General Mosquito, as he is popularly known in politics, was speaking on Onua TV’s morning show, Maakye, on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, while reacting to the Supreme Court’s recent ruling to phase out the delegates system of party primaries.
“It has increased the amount spent in contesting for any position one wants to contest. Research has even shown that the amount one has to spend in an attempt to go to Parliament, from primaries to the general elections, when compared with what he will gain for all the four years in Parliament, it means the cost is more than the gains,” he said in Twi.Hypothetically, General Mosquito illustrated how the cost of elections in the country is fueling corruption in the country, citing how an MP’s total salary earnings for four years is lesser than how much he spends in getting to the office. “So for instance, if your total salary for going to Parliament will be GHC400,000.00 and the cost of getting there is GHC1 million, where are you going to get the GHC600,000.00 balance?” he quizzed.”So if that cost is genuine cost, after one term, you shouldn’t have gone again,” he added.The NDC National Chairman indicated that, the fact that lawmakers continue to contest after such losses suggests they find other means to recover the money, a situation many believe is the root of corruption in the country.”But rather, they go again. It means they get the money somewhere to pay off and that’s why many people believe is the root of bribery and corruption,” Asiedu Nketia added.
