This blog is managed by the content creator and not GhanaWeb, its affiliates, or employees. Advertising on this blog requires a minimum of GH₵50 a week. Contact the blog owner with any queries.
Ted News Ghana Blog of Tuesday, 15 April 2025
Source: TEDDY VAVA GAWUGA
The Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) has raised alarm over the soaring cost of political participation in Ghana, warning that it poses a serious threat to good governance and deepens corruption.
Speaking during a presentation to the Constitutional Review Committee, Dr. Kojo Asante, Director of Programmes at CDD-Ghana, revealed that it now costs an estimated $150 million to mount a successful presidential campaign in Ghana. For a parliamentary seat, the figure hovers around $600,000 (GH¢10 million).
“These numbers are not just alarming—they are dangerous,” Dr. Asante said. “When political actors, appointed or elected, enter government having spent excessive amounts of money from internal party processes to national elections, they face immense pressure to recover those investments once in office.”
He warned that the financial burdens of campaigning create perverse incentives, encouraging public officials to engage in corrupt practices as a means of recouping their political expenditures.
The CDD’s findings shine a spotlight on the structural barriers that limit political access to only the wealthy or well-connected, while fostering a political culture driven by money rather than merit or service.
Dr. Asante called for urgent reforms to regulate campaign financing, increase transparency in political fundraising, and strengthen anti-corruption safeguards to protect Ghana’s democracy.