The Deputy Director of Elections and Information Technology for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Rashid Tanko-Computer, has dismissed allegations of vote buying in the Akwatia by-election, describing the claims as unfounded and inconsistent with the NDC’s track record.
Speaking on JoyNews’ The Pulse on Tuesday, Mr. Tanko-Computer defended his party’s electoral conduct, insisting that inducement of voters has never been part of the NDC’s political strategy.
“I can speak for my party, the NDC, that we are not involved in these acts of vote buying. Indeed, it has not been part of us; it is not part of our processes. We hardly do that in any of our elections,” he stated.
He pointed to the party’s overwhelming victory in the 2024 general elections as proof that the NDC’s success was built on policies and public trust, not monetary influence.
“If we were to be involved in vote buying, do you think we would have won the 2024 election? Look at the massive victory Ghanaians gave us. Do we have that kind of money?” he asked.
Mr. Tanko-Computer noted that the NDC, having spent eight years in opposition prior to 2024, did not have the financial muscle to outspend the then-incumbent New Patriotic Party (NPP), which he accused of distributing “tons of money” during the campaign period.
“Being in opposition for eight years, we couldn’t have withstood the NPP with the thongs of money they were distributing all over. But we won the election because we had a superior message, and the people bought into it and voted massively for us,” he argued.
He further questioned why a party that had earned public trust and had been in office for only eight months, with visible improvements to show, would resort to inducement tactics.
“We have done enough for them. The people are living testimonies. They are telling us what they used to buy in the market, now the prices have slashed drastically. So, they have a lot more money in their pockets. They are enjoying these things, so why would we need to use money to induce them?” he said.
Turning the spotlight on the opposition, Mr. Tanko-Computer accused the NPP of perpetuating what he described as a long-standing culture of vote buying.
“It is our colleagues — that is their modus operandi. They have been doing it. And today, they haven’t changed. They are all over the place, dashing money left and right. They still have huge monies with them,” he alleged.
Source: Emmanuel Tetteh
ALSO READ:
