Executive Director of Global InfoAnalytics, Mussa Dankwah, has dismissed claims that vote buying influenced the outcome of the Akwatia by-election held on Tuesday, September 2, 2025.
Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Wednesday, September 3, Mr. Dankwah stressed that the results reflected the genuine will of the people rather than financial inducements.
When asked by sit-in host Caleb Kudah whether money may have swayed the outcome, he responded emphatically: “Absolutely not.”
He explained that data gathered by his outfit consistently shows that only a small fraction of Ghanaian voters are willing to exchange their ballots for money.
“We have conducted elections in this country, and we have measured the proportion of people who are likely to take money for a vote in this country. The number was 7%, so if you are investing GH₵10 million to buy a vote, you are only going to get 7% in return,” Mr. Dankwah said.
He argued that such low returns make vote buying not only unsustainable but also an ineffective political strategy.
“It simply doesn’t work. The data shows that propaganda, money, or intimidation cannot win elections in Ghana today. What works is science, research, and understanding the voter,” he added.
CitiNewsRoom
