Votes buying appears to have characterised the ongoing presidential primary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) pending reports coming in from some constituencies.
Whilst Onua TV/FM’s Sarah Parku was telling Nhyiraba Paa Kwesi Simpson, host of Connect FM’s Omanbapa morning show, that a delegate at Ledzokuku was saying she had already gotten her money and wouldn’t mind going home without voting, Emmanuel Sowah was telling Aduanaba Kofi Asante Ennin that delegates in the Bodi constituency are refusing to vote because of votes buying.
According to Sowah’s report on Onua TV/FM, the delegates at Bodi boycotted the poll with the excuse that the money coming from the camps of the aspirants were small compared to what they were hearing from other places.
The delegates have also said the monies their colleagues received during the special delegates’ conference was bigger than what they were being given and therefore demanded more.
He says they were being given between GHC300 and GHC400 which they said was an amount so paltry to be given them to elect a flag bearer according Emmanuel Sowah.
Meanwhile, Dr. Kwame Asah-Asante, a Political Science lecturer at the University of Ghana has chastised leadership of the ruling New Patriotic Party for certain deeds they’ve allowed to fester in the party for some time now.
He says several incidents of anomalies reported by some aspirants since the commencement of the internal electoral process have not been addressed by the party leadership leading to latter day decisions that are not so logical.
Dr. Asah-Asante says votes buying allegations among intimation and other issues raised by some aspirants have been left unattended to, leading to the main election on November 4.
According to the Political Science lecturer, the pact signed by the four aspirants as a means to conceal some of the issues raised is bogus and the leadership have acted as if it were nonexistent.
He was speaking with Alfred Ocansey on Ghana Tonight on TV3 Friday, November 3, 2023.
“People have said it, contestants have said it but the fact that the party has turned deaf ears to this matter. What they’re doing as if the party leadership do not exist. They’ve allowed people to have their way to the extent that they are now teaching the rules with impunity…” adding that the issues could be the reason that “at the eleventh hour, that bogus pact that they’re signing with the contestants.”
He explained that, “there is allegation of intimidation that has not been addressed, there is also allegation of monetary inducement that has also not been adressed, there is also allegations of votes buying and the rest of them.”
All the four flag bearer aspirants of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to accept the outcome of Saturday elections, irrespective of the result.
It also mandates the candidates not to leave or resign from the party if the results do not favour them.
The MoU is to ensure that candidates were committed to maintaining the cohesion of the party towards its success in the 2024 presidential elections, as well as securing a working majority in the next Parliament.
The Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin Central, Francis Addai-Nimoh, former MP for Mampong, and former Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto signed the MoU in Accra.
The ceremony was witnessed by the Election Committee of the party including its Chairman, Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye, Vice Chairman, Kwabena Abankwa-Yeboah and a member, William Yeboah.
The MoU mandates candidates to remain active and dedicated members of the party, as well as commit themselves to diligently and conscientiously work to support the winner of the presidential ticket, during the 2024 elections.
Per the MoU any disputes or violations would be subject to resolution within NPP’s established internal dispute resolution mechanisms, in accordance with the party’s constitution and by-laws.
The MoU shall be in effect from the date of signing until and after the announcement of the NPP’s presidential elections.
The signing of the MoU comes weeks after a flag bearer aspirant and former Trade and Industry Minister, John Alan Kyerematen, withdrew from the race and subsequently resigned from the party over the unsatisfactory conduct of an earlier election to narrow down contestants to five.
The politician who was third in that election has since been campaigning to be President of the country under the Movement for Change.
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