A youth group of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) calling itself the Concerned Patriots has raised alarm over alleged vote buying in the Northern Region.
According to the group, some aspiring NPP candidates vying for positions at the regional and national levels are bribing delegates to vote for them during the NPP’s delegates’ congresses.
As part of their modus operandi, those involved in the alleged votes buying spree are buying nomination forms and sponsoring potential candidates to contest the upcoming NPP election, the group claimed.
Spokesperson for the Concerned Patriots, Yussif Danjumah in an interview with Citi News threatened to expose those involved in the deal if they don’t stop the practice.
“Not only the national executives, those who want to contest for the constituency and regional executive positions are manipulating the system to the favour them and we will expose them if they don’t stop their secret deals.”
He complained that the situation was deepening the seeming factionalism in the NPP.
“We cannot have transparency in that regard and this is deepening the factionalism we are talking about in the NPP; it is also going to deepen moneycratization in the party’s internal electoral system.”
He lamented, “They are buying forms for their associates to contest the various positions at the grassroot level to help them succeed at the regional and national levels.”
Yussif Danjumah therefore called for a reduction of the filing fees pegged at GHC4 cedis to GHC2 cedis to make it possible for competent but needy aspirants to contest the race at the grassroot level.
“Some people in the party find it difficult to get one cedi a day and they have to file for four cedis, where will they get the money to pay?”
Meanwhile, first national Vice Chairman of the NPP, Fred Oware has condemned such practice and said the party was yet to receive official complaint from the group raising the concern.
“As a matter of fact the party frowns on votes buying; I do not have names, places and amounts that have been paid; these are matters that I have also generally heard but I am yet to receive further details.”
Source: Citifmonline
