Ghanaâs democratic gains could come under increasing threat if the rising cost and monetisation of political competition are not urgently addressed, governance experts and civil society actors have warned.
The warning emerged at a Media Workshop on Regulating Political Party Financing in Ghana, organised by the Center for Democratic Development-Ghana (CDD-Ghana) on Monday, August 24, 2026, at the CDD-Ghana Conference Room in Accra.
The engagement brought together media practitioners and stakeholders to examine the growing financial demands of political competition, weaknesses in Ghanaâs existing political finance framework, and proposals contained in a draft model political finance bill.
Opening the workshop, Frederick Adu-Gyamfi, Director of Programs and Operations at CDD-Ghana, said Ghanaâs Fourth Republic had earned commendable recognition for peaceful transfers of power, competitive elections, and increasing political participation.
He, however, cautioned that these democratic achievements must not obscure emerging threats to the integrity and sustainability of the countryâs democracy.
One of the most pressing concerns, he said, was the rising and often unchecked cost of political competition.
According to him, the growing monetisation of politics was creating barriers for capable but less-resourced citizens while also fueling opacity, weakening accountability, and increasing the risk of corruption.
He noted that although Ghanaâs legal framework, including the 1992 Constitution and the Political Parties Act, 2000, provides a basis for regulating political financing, gaps in enforcement, disclosure requirements, donation limits, and expenditure ceilings have constrained its effectiveness.
CDD-Ghana, with support from the British High Commission, has consequently developed a draft model political finance bill proposing measures covering transparency, expenditure limits, donation regulation, disclosure obligations, and enforcement mechanisms.
UK: Unregulated political money can undermine public trust
Speaking on behalf of the British High Commission, Duke Mensah Opoku, Senior Political Officer, said Ghanaâs democratic record remained a source of pride, citing the countryâs eight consecutive peaceful elections and three transfers of political power.
He nevertheless warned that the increasing cost of political campaigns and concerns about the sources of campaign funding could undermine these democratic gains.
He said the financial burden of political competition could create significant barriers for women, youth, and persons with disabilities, thereby limiting inclusive participation in political leadership.
According to him, unregulated political finance could open the door to illicit funds and undue influence, distort policy priorities, drain public resources, and weaken the social contract between citizens and the state.
The UK, he said, remained committed to supporting Ghanaâs efforts to develop a transparent, inclusive, and accountable political finance system.
âTogether we can ensure that political parties serve the public interest, not private pockets,â he said.
âIf money drives democracy, criminals could control the state.x
One of the strongest warnings came from George Sarpong, journalist and legal practitioner, who urged the media to take a greater interest in the people and interests financing political campaigns.
Mr. Sarpong warned that Ghana needed to create an environment where people with good ideas, character, and a genuine desire to serve the country could offer themselves for political leadership without being excluded by money.
âWe will develop this nation by decent character and good ideas,â he said.
He cautioned that if money was allowed to dominate Ghanaâs democracy, the country could eventually âend up having criminal gangsters control the state.â
He argued that the consequences could extend far beyond elections because individuals who finance political campaigns may seek influence over public policy and state resources once their preferred candidates gain political power.
Mr. Sarpong, therefore, called on journalists to investigate who finances political campaigns, make information available to the public, and interrogate proposals contained in the draft model political finance law.
He also urged the media to bring experts and other stakeholders into the conversation to help shape legislation capable of protecting Ghanaâs democratic future.
High cost of politics raises concerns over equal participation
The workshop heard that the cost of seeking political office in Ghana has increased substantially over successive electoral cycles.
William Nyarko, who presented on âRegulating Political Party Financing in Ghana,â explained that political parties occupy a special position in Ghanaâs democratic system because they seek political power and ultimately assume responsibility for managing state resources.
He therefore argued that their activities must be guided by rules that promote democratic principles and accountability.
The presentation highlighted several factors contributing to the high cost of politics, including campaign expenditure, internal party contests, delegate mobilisation, nomination and filing fees, and other political activities.
A major concern raised was the regulatory gap surrounding individual candidates.
While political parties are regulated, candidates who receive campaign financing are not adequately covered by the existing framework, creating a significant accountability gap.
The workshop heard that candidates receive a substantial proportion of political campaign funds, making their exclusion from effective regulation a major weakness in Ghanaâs political finance architecture.
Vote buying and state resources also under scrutiny
The discussions further touched on the growing concerns surrounding vote buying and vote selling, as well as the alleged use of state resources for political purposes.
Participants heard that the increasing financial expectations surrounding elections could create a cycle in which candidates incur substantial costs to secure political office and subsequently face pressure to recover those investments after assuming public office.
The concern is that such a cycle could contribute to corruption, conflicts of interest, and the diversion of public resources away from citizens.
CDD-Ghana: Citizens must ask where political money comes from
The workshop also placed considerable emphasis on the role of citizens and the media in monitoring political financing.
Speakers challenged journalists to move beyond conventional election coverage and investigate the financial interests behind political campaigns.
Among the critical questions the public should be asking are the following:
Who finances political campaigns?
Where does the money come from?
How much is being spent?
What expectations are attached to political donations and financial support?
And, ultimately, what impact does campaign financing have on governance and the public interest?
Dr Kojo Asante: âThis is not a luxuryâ
Closing the workshop, Dr. Kojo Pumpuni Asante, Director of Policy Engagement and Partnerships at CDD-Ghana, described political finance reform as an urgent national necessity rather than an optional policy intervention.
He warned that the high cost of political competition could create conflicts of interest for political office holders, particularly where candidates incur substantial financial obligations in their quest for power.
According to him, politicians who spend enormous sums to win elections may face pressure to divert public resources or manipulate public contracts to recover their financial investments or prepare for subsequent elections.
âThe more money that you have to put in getting elected, the more money that you want to take from the state,â Dr Asante warned.
He called for greater state involvement in regulating political party processes and suggested that citizens and taxpayers could support aspects of internal party elections to reduce the financial burden on political contestants.
He further urged citizens not to wait for the passage of new legislation before demanding accountability.
âEven as we are trying to get the law, donxt wait for it. We should still be asking questions about where people are getting the money to do certain things,â he said.
Protecting democracy means controlling the influence of money
The CDD-Ghana workshop has reignited an important national conversation about the relationship between money, political power, and democratic accountability.
Ghanaâs reputation for peaceful elections and democratic transitions remains an important achievement. But the sustainability of that democracy may increasingly depend on whether political participation remains accessible to citizens based on competence, integrity, ideas, and commitment to public service, rather than primarily on financial capacity.
Unchecked political financing can have consequences that extend beyond election day. It can influence who gets the opportunity to contest, who can win, whose interests receive political attention, and ultimately how public resources are managed.
For that reason, regulating political finance is not merely an electoral matter. It is fundamentally an issue of democratic accountability, equality of political participation, good governance, and the protection of the public interest.
As the conversation around CDD-Ghanaâs draft model political finance bill continues, the media, civil society organisations and citizens have a critical role to play in ensuring that the sources, scale, and influence of political money remain subject to public scrutiny.
Ghanaâs democracy cannot afford a system where the deepest pockets determine who gets to govern.
The urgent question is whether the country can build a political financing framework strong enough to ensure that public office remains a vehicle for public serviceânot an avenue for recovering private political investments.