Dr. Kwame Asah-Asante of the University of Ghana Political Science Department has condemned the inducement of voters in the country, saying the entire nation has been hypocritical about it over the years.
According to him, politicians bribe their way to power and only comes out to complain when the votes didn’t go in their favour.
He explains that the citizens failure to condemn the act over the years has emboldened the political class to induce voters by denying the entire society the rightful persons to lead.
Dr. Asah-Asante was commenting on the recent NDC parliamentary primary in Ayawaso East where bribery and vote-buying became rife, with the party leadership setting up a committee to investigate.
Speaking on Ghana Tonight on TV3 Monday, February 9, 2026, he said bribery in Ghana’s politics is a reflection of the society, saying until the public condemns such act and vote against politicians as a form of punishment, those with the resources will always buy their way through.
“What I know and what I have observed over the years with pain is that Ghanaian society has been very hypocritical, especially the political actors, that they –of course not all of them –induce voters to vote one direction or another during election and then they come back to complain when it doesn’t go their favour.
“What we are witnessing today is a product of we as a society acquiescing to all the wrongdoings relative to inducement in election and anytime such issues come up, it is swept under the carpet and the next time, we do not hear anything about it.
“When things of this nature happen, it undermines the frontiers of democracy in the sense that, you’re going to deny that society the right candidate who would have won based on the needs of the people. As soon as money comes in, then all the necessary ingredients that we need in an election are thrown into the lake of fire,” he explained.
The setting up of the Committee follows the party’s condemnation of the alleged bribery and vote-buying incidents during its parliamentary primary in the Ayawaso East constituency on Saturday, February 7, 2026.
In a statement issued by the party’s General Secretary, Franklin Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, the NDC described the actions as a violation of the party’s values and its broader “reset” agenda.
The party announced an immediate full-scale investigation into the allegations and warned that swift action will be taken against any candidate found culpable.
The statement also indicated that future incidents could lead to more drastic sanctions, including the possible cancellation of elections.
NDC Ayawaso East primary: Don’t stampede probe committee – Asah-Asante tells Baba Jamal’s supporters
