President John Mahama
Information reaching DAILY GUIDE indicates that the campaign machine of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) is requiring an amount of $5million to buy off polling station agents across the country.
Two major banks, one of them dealing with farmers, have been contacted to make the money available.
The banks could only raise half of the amount, leaving the NDC almost helpless and distressed.
In the last elections, polling station agents were said to have compromised their positions by collecting money from the NDC and abandoning their core responsibilities at such stations.
Pressure is being mounted through the board of one of the banks to have them cough out the money.
The opposition NPP is said to be working towards engaging only committed persons to work at the polling stations.
Recently, the party opened its doors for donations of food and other items to support the upkeep of polling station agents on Election Day but the NDC is intent on buying them off with real cash.
Whether they would succeed or not would depend on the resolve of such persons not to countenance such overtures.
In another development, close to five thousand Ivorians bearing Ghanaian Voter ID cards are expected to make their way into the country using the Elubo border post in the Western Region.
During the biometric registration exercise, one of the challenges faced by minders of the centres was the influx of nationals of neighbouring countries through the connivance of NDC elements to register.
Now that the elections are close and barring resistance by the NPP, some of these foreigners would make their way into the country.
The ruling party is using all possible means to have the polls favour it. Almost all the quasi-military institutions have people whose retirement dates are due staying on.
In the Ghana Police Service, there are officers like Alhaji Hamidu Mahama at the Police headquarters and Robert Ayalingo, the man in charge of the Brong Ahafo Regional Command.
In the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service, a certain Deputy Commissioner, S.N. Yanchira, who should have retired since last November, is still at post courtesy of the willingness of the ruling party to bend the rules, regardless of the fallouts.
A Daily Guide Report