- Ghana’s Ambassador to the US, Emmanuel Victor Smith, has condemned vote-buying, describing it as the earliest form of corruption
- His comments follow allegations of inducement during the NDC parliamentary primaries held on February 7
- He stressed that vote-buying shifts governance away from public service toward recovering campaign expenses
Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States, Emmanuel Victor Smith, has cautioned against the growing menace of vote-buying, describing it as the root of entrenched corruption that takes hold even before elected officials assume office.
His remarks come in the wake of allegations of vote-buying during the National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary primaries held on February 7. During the process, Baba Jamal was accused of handing out 32-inch television sets to voters and boiled eggs to delegates after voting had begun. The reported distribution allegedly caused some disorder as voters scrambled to obtain the items.
Addressing the matter on Monday, February 9, 2026, Ambassador Smith emphasized that the use of money, gifts, or favours during election campaigns should not be viewed as benevolence. Rather, he described it as a calculated investment made with expectations of future rewards—an approach that inevitably fuels corrupt governance.
“When money or gifts are used to influence voters, we must call it what it truly is: corruption in its earliest form. It is not generosity. It is not kindness. It is an investment,” he stated.
He explained that when individuals who engage in vote-buying gain political power, governance often shifts from serving the public interest to recouping campaign expenditures, rewarding backers, and pursuing personal benefit, effectively turning the public purse into a reimbursement fund.
“Vote-buying does more than compromise elections; it produces corruption after the polls. Tackling corruption only at the level of government contracts while ignoring it at the ballot box is self-deception,” Ambassador Smith added.
He called for a broader national understanding that accepting inducements weakens accountability, just as offering them undermines integrity.
The ambassador urged both political actors and voters to reject inducement-driven politics and instead embrace a politics guided by conscience to protect Ghana’s democracy and foster principled leadership.
Referencing the Ayawaso East by-election, Ambassador Smith warned that the open distribution of items such as televisions, motorcycles, or cash to voters must be recognised as corruption, stressing that law enforcement agencies should act decisively when such practices occur.
“Elections should never be auctions,” he reminded, quoting Singapore’s founding Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew.
