Director of Strategy, Research and Communication at the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), Samuel Appiah Darko, has called for the creation of an Independent Political Party Finance Audit Committee to improve transparency and accountability in Ghana’s electoral system.
Speaking at a national conference on campaign finance reform organised by Transparency International Ghana in Accra, Mr. Darko highlighted the urgent need to decouple the Electoral Commission’s regulatory function from its role as an electoral referee, citing concerns about compromised oversight in political party financing.
“This country needs a system like Norway’s,” he explained, proposing an autonomous audit body composed of representatives from the Audit Service, the OSP, and the Judiciary, chaired by a judge and resourced with a dedicated budget.
“Such a structure could elevate trust in our democracy and curb the ever-growing influence of money in politics.”
He added that, “this body would operate separately from the election organisers and could include representatives from the Audit Service, the OSP, and the judiciary, headed by a judge. It would leverage existing expertise and infrastructure, and operate with a dedicated budget, rather than functioning as a separate office.”
By proposing this independent audit mechanism, Darko joins other civic leaders and reform advocates pushing for, mandatory donor disclosures and spending limits, enhanced monitoring of political contributions, public funding models to level the playing field.
