An aspirant for the National Chairman position of the New Patriotic Party(NPP), Stephen Asamoah Boateng has claimed that some candidates are paying delegates to influence their votes.
According to him, some contenders for the chairmanship race are bribing the delegates in other to win their votes.
“People are going behind me with money. They want to buy your votes. They are using money now and when they finish they cannot come to you,” he lamented.
He explained that he gave money to some delegates to cater for their transportation expenses.
“I only gave them T&T three times, about 150,150 and 100,” he stated.
When asked what sets him apart from the other candidates, he stated that while others are buying votes, he is the only candidate the delegates can trust. he, therefore, advised delegates to vote for a chairman who is focused and capable of leading the Breaking-the-8 Agenda.
“Please stay focused. Remember 2024, you need a Chairman that is focused and has energy”, he encouraged.
Mr. Asamoah Boateng is one of the leading contenders in the chairmanship race. Many pundits have tipped him to carry the day.
He is competing with Stephen Ntim, Prof. Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi, George Abankwah-Yeboah, Akwasi Osei-Adjei, Gifty Asantewaa Ayeh, and Sammy Crabbe.
Vote buying remains a threat to Ghana’s democracy as it poses serious challenges to free and fair elections, and the legitimacy of political office holders.
Each election year and in almost every local and institutional elections, the issue of vote buying re-surfaces as it has almost become part of every election in Ghana.
Many stakeholders within the political space, as well as leaders of civil society organisations, have been calling for the need for systematic monitoring of the issue of vote buying during campaign periods.
This will encourage naming and shaming political parties who engage in the practice, in order to reduce or cure the canker.