Asiedu Nketia presses police to investigate vote-buying in party elections

National Democratic Congress chairman Johnson Asiedu Nketia is urging the police and other security agencies to investigate suspected vote-buying during internal party elections, saying such allegations should not be left solely to political parties to handle. Speaking to JoyNews, he said offering support to party members is not automatically wrong, but argued that gifts or money used to influence votes and secure positions cross a line. When inducements are tied to elections, he said, the practice is unacceptable in a democracy. Asiedu Nketia stressed that suspected criminal conduct should be considered under national law, regardless of which party is involved. In his view, party rules and disciplinary processes cannot replace the responsibility of state institutions to investigate possible offences. He also called on security agencies to act without waiting for the NDC or the New Patriotic Party to discipline their own members first. Parties, he acknowledged, have a role in enforcing internal rules, but that should not prevent authorities from responding when criminal conduct is suspected. His remarks come amid continuing concern about financial and material inducements in party contests. The report links the renewed attention to allegations surrounding the NDC parliamentary primary in Ayawaso East in February 2026, where televisions were alleged to have been distributed to delegates. The Office of the Special Prosecutor opened an investigation into those claims, according to the report. Asiedu Nketia’s message was that law enforcement should apply the same standards whichever party is involved. He said security agencies should not hold back simply because an allegation relates to an internal party election, while leaving any conclusions about specific claims to the relevant investigation.