Pursuing presidential ambition in Ghana will cost $200m - CDD
Executive Director of CDD-Ghana made this disclosure at the just held Open Society event in Accra.
Elohim Nyame 
The Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) has announced that the cost of winning a presidential election in Ghana has increased to about $200 million, generating concerns about the sustainability and inclusiveness of the country’s democratic dispensation.
Addressing audience at an Open Society event in Accra, the Executive Director of CDD-Ghana, Professor H. Kwasi Prempeh warned that the increasing financial cost of elections will discourage capable leaders who are not financially rich.
“I think you need about $200 million to win a presidential contest. How many of you here are ever going to be in that category or cohort of candidates? Even at the parliamentary level or at the primary level, it is nearly impossible for many of you,” Prof. Prempeh said.
He used the occasion to caution such trends undermine Ghana’s democratic and developmental aspirations, mentioning that politics will gradually become the preserve of the wealthy and well-connected.
“We can not have that kind of democracy and expect it to be developmental. So, we need to worry about our campaign financing and regulating our internal party democracy,” he stressed.
CDD-Ghana’s revelation adds to ongoing discourse about election campaign financing reforms in Ghana, with civil society groups suggesting tougher regulations to ensure fairness, accountability, and inclusivity in the political spectrum.
