The Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has cautioned against the branding of politics as a “dirty game”.
He says politics in itself is not inherently corrupt, but rather, the individuals practicing it that are the real problem.
Mr. Bagbin, speaking at the opening of the three-day High-Level Regional Convening on the Financialisation of Politics in Africa in Accra on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, highlighted the dangers democracy faces due to the monetisation of politics.
He cautioned that the practice will breed a society where the financially strong will wield power at the expense of ideas and commitment to public service.
He said politics is becoming an avenue where the rich invest and recoup once they assume power. This, he noted, has derailed the core tenets of politics, which he fears poses a huge risk to democratic governance.
“It’s not a dirty game. It’s the people playing politics that are dirty,” he said.
The meeting has brought together senior government officials, anti-corruption institutions, electoral bodies, civil society organisations, researchers, development partners and governance practitioners to discuss the growing influence of money in African politics and explore practical reforms.
The event, convened by the African Union Advisory Board Against Corruption, the Community of Practice on Political Finance in Africa, the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development, Open Society Foundations and Transparency International Ghana, seeks to raise public and policy attention to the impact of money on politics and translate research on political financing into actionable policy reforms.
Speaker Bagbin explained further that it is time to put the legislation and resolutions from the numerous conferences on corruption to practice, in order to ameliorate the canker from society to safeguard democracy.
“I believe this is the time to act. It’s not just about passing laws. It’s not just about resolutions.
“It’s about appreciating on a daily basis what we see is right, what we see is honest, what we see is clean, what we see is integrity. This must be put into practice,” he added.
Democracy on verge of collapse due to monetisation of politics – Speaker Bagbin
