Senior political science lecturer at the University of Ghana, Prof. Ransford Gyampo, has expressed concern over the escalating expenditures by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) as they gear up for the 2024 General Election.
In a series of posts on Facebook, Prof. Gyampo highlighted the significant amounts being poured into rallies, billboards, and advertisements by the two leading political parties.
He warned that Ghanaians should be worried about the implications of this spending, as citizens would ultimately bear the cost once a new government is in place.
“The main opposition party and the ruling party are marching themselves boot for boot in respect of how much they are spending on rallies, billboards, radio, and TV adverts. We should be worried because we would bear the cost directly or indirectly,” Prof. Gyampo noted.
He called for urgent legislative action to cap campaign expenditures, arguing that the absence of such laws skews political competition in favour of candidates with deep pockets rather than those with the best governance potential.
“Until we pass a law to set a ceiling on campaign expenditure, the right people cannot emerge to govern, as they won’t have the means to campaign. Also, we would all suffer neglect as monies spent would have to be recouped first,” he added.
Prof. Gyampo’s remarks spotlight the broader issue of political financing in Ghana, where critics have long called for reforms to ensure greater transparency and equity in the electoral process.
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