Afari-Gyan To Ghanaians: Your Vote Is Not A Commodity For Sale

The former chairman of Ghana’s Electoral Commission, Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan has charged religious leaders in the country to ensure that their members vote wisely in elections.

Speaking at a lecture organised by the Rotary Club of Accra West on Wednesday (9 February) on the theme: ‘Elections and conflicts in emerging democracy’, Afari-Gyan called on Ghanaians to refrain from vote selling.

“At the risk of sounding sacrilegious, I must say that votes are ‘godly’ and men of God must stand up to ensure that the vote of their members count,” he said.

“The reason why politicians buy votes and why some election officials take money or some form of inducement to help candidates win is that they don’t have ethical competence.

“In simple terms, vote buyers go in two ways. Politicians are the buyers and they can buy from anyone. The reason why they (politicians) buy votes is to win elections”

“If the people [truly] understood and appreciated their vote then they would have seen it as the instrument of change that it is and not a commodity for sale,” Afari-Gyan said

Listen to excerpts of the lecture in the attached video clip below: