Investigate corruption allegations at NPP regional polls – Mahama Ayariga petitions Special Prosecutor
An appeal has been made to the Special Prosecutor by the legislator for Bawku Central, Mahama Ayariga to investigate the widespread reports of bribery and corruption in the recently held New Patriotic Party Regional Executive elections.
Mr Ayariga in his petition called on the Special Prosecutor to prosecute persons found culpable of corruption during the polls.
“I write to draw your attention to widespread reports in the social media which were equally discussed on the radio, that the offences of corruption, bribery, treating and undue influence did take place at the congresses of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to elect regional executives of the reports,” the petition said.
Mr Ayariga’s petition is premised on the Representation of the People Law, 1992 (PNDCL 284) which makes bribery in public elections unlawful.
He also drew the attention of the Ghana Police Service to probe these allegations and “develop tools for policing elections to political parties’ offices to nip corruption in the bud”.
Corrupt acts such as vote-buying among others have characterized several elections in the country.
In 2020, the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), through its foremost anti-corruption campaign platform, Corruption watch exposed how some aspirants in the NPP primaries at the time, allegedly influenced delegates using money and other items to garner votes.
Following the exposé, the Centre subsequently called on the Commission of Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to look into incidents of vote-buying in Ghana’s politics.
