By: Bernard Mensah
February 9, 2026
A member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Communications Team in the Tema West Constituency, James Tamakloe, has raised serious concerns about Ghana’s delegate-based system for internal party elections, describing it as a major driver of vote buying and political corruption.
According to Mr. Tamakloe, the current system—where a limited number of delegates determine the outcome of party primaries—creates fertile ground for inducements, making it easier for aspirants to influence outcomes through material gifts and cash incentives rather than ideas and competence.
He argued that unless political parties review and reform the delegate system, efforts to curb bribery and vote buying within Ghana’s democratic process will remain ineffective.
Mr. Tamakloe made these remarks on Plan B FM’s current affairs programme, Nkosuo Nsem, on Monday, February 9, 2026, in reaction to reports of alleged vote buying during the National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary primaries in Ayawaso East.
Describing the reported incidents as a serious threat to democratic integrity, he cautioned that such practices weaken internal party democracy and erode public confidence in the political system.
His comments follow the circulation of a video on social media which reportedly shows an aspirant in the Ayawaso East NDC primaries, Baba Jamal, distributing television sets to voters and boiled eggs to delegates ahead of the election. The footage sparked widespread public debate and condemnation.
In a subsequent television interview, Baba Jamal acknowledged giving out the television sets but explained that they were gifts, not inducements intended to influence the outcome of the primaries.
However, Mr. Tamakloe insisted that such actions—regardless of how they are described—highlight the structural weaknesses of the delegate system and reinforce the need for broader participation in internal elections.
He called on political parties to adopt more inclusive electoral models, arguing that expanding the voter base would make vote buying more difficult, more expensive, and ultimately less attractive.
“If we are serious about ending bribery and vote buying in our body politic, then we must start by fixing our internal party systems,” he stressed.
Mr. Tamakloe further urged leadership of both major political parties to demonstrate commitment to democratic values by enforcing strict internal regulations and sanctions against vote buying, adding that internal democracy is the foundation of good governance at the national level.
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