Pressure group OccupyGhana has renewed its call for the criminalisation of vote buying in intra-party elections, warning that the practice poses a growing threat to democratic accountability and political integrity in Ghana.
In a letter dated February 9, 2026, and addressed to the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dr Dominic Ayine, the Majority Leader, Mahama Ayariga, and the Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin and copied to the Speaker of Parliament, the Deputy Speakers, Majority and Minority leadership, the Electoral Commission, the Special Prosecutor, and media organisations, OccupyGhana urged authorities to act on an earlier proposal it submitted in October 2023.
The group said the increasing normalisation of vote buying in internal party contests has created a “significant loophole” in Ghana’s electoral framework, noting that while national elections are governed by clear prohibitions against electoral corruption, intra-party elections remain largely unregulated in that regard.
According to OccupyGhana, intra-party elections are critical processes through which candidates for public office are selected, and when these processes are influenced by financial inducements, merit and competence are displaced by monetary power.
It argued that this entrenches corruption at the earliest stages of leadership selection and undermines public trust in democratic institutions.
The group called for urgent legislative and policy reforms to expressly define and criminalise vote buying in intra-party elections, backed by effective sanctions and credible enforcement mechanisms.
OccupyGhana further proposed that any such offences should fall under the jurisdiction of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) rather than the Office of the Attorney-General.
It said vote buying in intra-party elections constitutes corruption and an abuse of public trust, matters that align with the statutory mandate of the OSP.
Given the political nature of such offences, the group argued that prosecution by an independent body would help avoid real or perceived conflicts of interest and strengthen public confidence in the impartial enforcement of electoral laws.
“Taking these steps would signal a firm and unequivocal commitment to democratic integrity, political accountability, and the rule of law,” OccupyGhana stated, adding that corruption should not be tolerated “whether occurring at the national stage or within the internal processes that feed into it.”
The group requested information on steps taken or proposed in response to its recommendations and indicated its willingness, alongside other civil society organisations, to support efforts toward effective and lasting reform.
