Vote‑buying harms democracy - Ghana’s US Ambassador Victor Smith warns

Nii Ayitey Brown 10:12 - 09 February 2026

Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States, Victor Emmanuel Smith

Ghana’s Ambassador to the US, Victor Emmanuel Smith, warns that vote-buying is the root of corruption, not generosity, urging citizens and politicians to uphold ethical voting practices.

Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States, Victor Emmanuel Smith, has condemned vote‑buying in election contests, calling the practice a fundamental source of corruption rather than an act of generosity.

His remarks come amid heightened public debate over allegations of voter inducement during recent party primaries.

Speaking on Monday, 9 February 2026, Ambassador Smith said the distribution of money, gifts or favors to influence voters damages democratic integrity and sets the stage for corrupt governance once office is attained.

“When money or gifts are used to influence voters, we must call it what it truly is: corruption in its earliest form. It is not generosity. It is not kindness. It is an investment,” he emphasised.

Smith’s comments were delivered against the backdrop of recent electoral controversies in Ghana’s political landscape, including allegations that participants in the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Ayawaso East parliamentary primary handed out items such as television sets to delegates.

The ambassador warned that such behaviour, if left unchecked, not only distorts the electoral process but also shapes future governance dynamics.

According to him, politicians who resort to vote‑buying often feel compelled to “recoup campaign expenses” after winning office.

“Vote‑buying does not merely distort elections; it manufactures corruption after elections,” Ambassador Smith added

He urged both voters and political actors to reject inducements and focus on principles instead of transactional politics.

Smith’s intervention feeds into a broader national conversation about the effects of vote selling and buying on Ghana’s democracy.

Civic education organisations such as the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) have previously warned that accepting money in exchange for votes threatens democratic accountability and undermines the electorate’s ability to hold leaders to account.

Studies on Ghana’s electoral environment show vote‑buying and vote‑selling can erode the relationship between citizens and the state, with participants increasingly voting based on immediate benefits rather than policies and long‑term national interest.