Ghana’s anti-corruption watchdog has turned its attention to alleged electoral malpractice that surfaced during recent internal contests of the country’s two major political parties.
The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) announced it has launched investigations into suspected vote trading linked to the New Patriotic Party’s presidential primary held on January 31, 2026, and the National Democratic Congress parliamentary primary in Ayawaso East on February 7, 2026. The development was disclosed in a public notice issued on February 8, 2026.
“The investigations focus on allegations of vote buying, vote selling, and the sources of funding of the alleged corrupt acts,” the OSP stated.
The anti-graft body indicated that it had also deployed a real-time monitoring and investigative operation during the NDC primary in Ayawaso East after receiving intelligence pointing to potential electoral wrongdoing and acts of intimidation.
In the course of those events, the OSP alleged that one of the parliamentary hopefuls, Mohammed Baba Jamal Ahmed, may have played a role in enabling an attack on one of its officers who was conducting inquiries related to the alleged vote trading scheme.
“During the conduct of the NDC parliamentary primaries… one of the candidates allegedly abetted thugs to physically attack an officer of the OSP,” the notice said.
The incident has prompted the Office to widen its probe to include the alleged assault on its authorised personnel while performing official duties.
“Consequently, the OSP has opened further investigation into the assault of an authorised officer of the OSP in the performance of his functions,” it added.
The Special Prosecutor’s Office used the notice to caution political actors and the general public about the legal consequences of election-related corruption, stressing that such offences attract criminal sanctions under Ghanaian law.
“The law prohibits corrupt acts in relation to public elections. It is a serious offence to engage in vote buying, vote selling, intimidation, threats of violence, and acts of violence,” the statement emphasised.
The OSP maintained that it remains committed to scrutinising all credible complaints connected to electoral corruption and will initiate prosecutions where investigations uncover sufficient evidence.
