Director of Research, Monitoring, and Evaluation at NCCE, Dr. Henrietta Asante-Sarpong
A report by the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has revealed that the Western North Region tops the list in terms of being approached by political actors for vote-buying during elections.
This was disclosed in the Commission’s latest report, presented by the Director of Research, Monitoring, and Evaluation, Dr. Henrietta Asante-Sarpong, in Accra on Wednesday, 23 October 2024.
“The Western North Region is leading in terms of being approached for vote-buying, followed by the Upper West Region and the Bono East Region, with others also following. We have seen this trend across all regions, but these three are leading in terms of vote-buying approaches,” she stated.
The report also highlighted Ghanaians’ understanding of vote-buying, with 90 percent of respondents recognising it as the act of offering money in exchange for votes.
“We assessed the understanding of vote-buying and found that nearly 90 percent of respondents see it as offering money in exchange for votes. One in five people has personally been approached with a vote-buying offer, with more men than women being targeted. Additionally, more adults than younger people have been approached, with the elderly being a prime target for vote-buying offers,” she added.
In terms of the prevalence of vote-buying, 20 to 30 percent of voters indicated that it was somewhat widespread.
“Close to 70 percent of respondents stated that vote-buying was prevalent in the country. We also asked respondents whether they would demand an offer before voting, and nearly 10 percent honestly admitted that they were very likely to request an offer,” Dr. Sarpong noted.
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In the meantime, follow Ernestina Asante as she tours the Asokwa Constituency and speaks with MP Patricia Appiagyei in this episode of Campaign Trail on GhanaWeb TV: