Development economist and chartered accountant Dr Valentin Kwasi Mensah has called for reforms to cut the rising cost of political competition in Ghana, warning that excessive campaign spending is making politicians dependent on wealthy financiers. He argued that when winning elections becomes too expensive, public office risks becoming an investment, with sponsors expecting rewards once their candidates take power. He cited a 2010 warning by former President Jerry John Rawlings that parties relying on financiers should expect them to demand payback, and said such relationships could lead to demands for appointments, contracts and privileged access.
Dr. Mensah pointed to research by CDD-Ghana and the Westminster Foundation for Democracy showing parliamentary campaign costs rose by 59 per cent between 2012 and 2016. He noted that Ghana already has laws, including Article 55 of the 1992 Constitution and the Political Parties Act, 2000 (Act 574), requiring parties to disclose funding and expenditure, but enforcement remains weak. He recounted requesting the 2023 financial returns and audited accounts of the NPP and NDC from the Electoral Commission on January 28, 2025, which was acknowledged but never answered despite repeated follow-ups as of November 1, 2026.
To fix the problem, Dr Mensah proposed an independent regulator with constitutional protection to oversee party financing, alongside campaign spending limits, timely disclosure of major donations, stronger enforcement and improved internal party democracy. He concluded that while political rivalry will continue, elections should reward ideas, competence and public service, not create debts to private financiers.
