The Executive Director of the Africa Centre for International Law and Accountability (ACILA), Mr William Nyarko, has intensified calls for sweeping reforms to Ghana’s political finance regime, including the creation of an independent body to register and regulate political parties and oversee campaign funding.
Speaking at a governance forum in Bolgatanga, Mr Nyarko argued that leaving oversight responsibilities solely to the Electoral Commission of Ghana (EC) has proven inadequate in addressing escalating campaign costs and opaque funding sources.
He described unregulated political financing as “the underbelly of grand corruption,” warning that undisclosed and illicit campaign contributions often translate into inflated contracts and misuse of public resources once beneficiaries assume office.
According to him, while political parties are constitutionally recognised and mandated to operate democratically, the current legal framework fails to hold individual candidates accountable for the bulk of campaign funds they receive.
“We estimate that about 90 per cent of contributions go directly to candidates, yet they are not required by law to disclose them. That is a major loophole,” he said.
Mr Nyarko noted that since Ghana’s return to multiparty democracy in 1992, the cost of seeking political office has risen steadily, driven by high nomination fees and entrenched practices such as vote buying, particularly during internal party primaries.
He also highlighted the absence of a clearly defined campaign period as a contributing factor, explaining that candidates often begin spending immediately after elections, stretching campaign activities over four years.
Citing recommendations from the Constitutional Review Committee, Mr Nyarko backed proposals to limit campaign activities to 120 days before elections, impose spending and contribution caps, and strengthen transparency mechanisms.
He further referenced reforms in Kenya, where a dedicated institution was established to regulate political party financing separately from the electoral management body, describing it as a model Ghana could adapt.
Beyond institutional reforms, Mr Nyarko called for the criminalisation of vote buying in intra-party elections and advocated expanding party primaries to allow universal participation by card-bearing members in good standing. He argued that broadening the voter base within parties would reduce inducement and financial manipulation linked to small delegate systems.
The forum, organised by the Center for Democratic Development Ghana (CDD-Ghana) in collaboration with the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) and supported by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), examined a proposed model political finance law aimed at curbing the influence of money in Ghana’s electoral politics.
Mr Nyarko urged policymakers to prioritise reforms that would entrench transparency, accountability, and integrity in political financing to safeguard Ghana’s democratic future.
