Flagbearer hopeful of opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Goosie Tanoh, has condemned the act of vote buying which reportedly took place during the party’s women’s and youth conference in the Central Region.
Speaking at separate meetings with NDC delegates at Awutu Breku and Gomoa Akotsi in the Central Region, Mr. Goosie Tanoh said the practice of vote buying was alien to principles that formed the National Democratic Congress.
“What happened on Saturday when our women and youth met to elect national officers and we all saw what happened on that day, people were buying votes for 200 cedis, gas cookers, flat screens TV sets etc, were all used to bribe delegates. These character traits can be attributed to the elephant party (NPP) not NDC. NDC members are good servants and have people at heart. We serve with love. When money is used to entice people to vote, the party ends up electing wrong leaders” Goosie Tanoh told delegates during a campaign tour to the Central Region on Monday.
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According to Mr. Goosie Tanoh, the use of money and essential goods to influence voters is a character of the “elephant” and is borne out of the politics of entitlement.
Speaking to shouts of “Gas Cookers, TVs, Tablets” from the delegates gathered, Goosie Tanoh said “That character is that of the elephant. For the NPP, everything comes down to entitlement” he continued in his native Fanti language, saying, “for us, we value humans, so if we go selling our votes, we end up not choosing the right people, and reasoning with our stomachs instead of our heads.”
He explained that the practice of vote buying breeds corrupt leaders.
He argued that there was no need for politicians to resort to buying votes if the welfare of voters is their priority.
His condemnation of vote buying is on the back of media reports that suggested vote-buying engulfed the National Democratic Congress Youth and Women elections held Saturday at Gomoa Fetteh.
The media reports also alleged that delegates and constituencies received as much as 500 dollars before casting their votes while other candidates also openly distributed items such as tricycles, sandals, key-holders, exercise books, branded food and drinks, gas cookers and cylinders in an attempt to induce voters.”
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Goosie Tanoh decried the monetization of elections in the country and urged members of the umbrella family not to allow their judgement to be bought.
Both NDC and NPP have at different times, accused each other of buying votes during elections.
There were similar reports of alleged massive vote buying during the recently held National congress of the ruling NPP that elected new national executive leaders for the party.
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Goosie Tanoh urged political parties to respect the electoral code of conduct and appealed to delegates to reject perpetrators of such crimes.
Goosie Tanoh is currently touring the country canvassing for votes in a bid to lead the NDC as the party’s presidential candidate for election 2020.