The Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII) has cited the National Democratic Congress for vote buying and incumbency abuse.
In a 10-page report, GII said the acts were committed in order to ensure the second term bid of President John Mahama.
READ MORE:Mahama got it wrong; Ghana’s systems not robust – GII
The report was a collaborative work by the Coalition of Civil Society Organizations Monitoring Abuse of Incumbency and Electoral Corruption: the Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII), Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC) and Citizen’s Movement against Corruption (CMaC).
The project was in two parts: monitoring of abuse of incumbency in 20 selected constituencies, and media monitoring of news stories, features, articles, editorials, space, and time in two state-owned media outlets to political parties.
It was carried out in June, July and August 2016.
-- vote buying--
The report accused the NDC parliamentary candidate for the Jirapa Constituency of distributing two Ghana Cedi bills to the crowd at a political rally onSunday, 17th July 2016.
“On Wednesday 27 July, 2016 the First Lady Mahama donated medical equipment and supplies to the Navrongo War Memorial Hospital as part of efforts to reduce mother to child transmission of HIV. The event took place at the forecourt of the hospital. In attendance was the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Nana Oye Lithur, the MP Hon. Mark Woyongo, the Upper East Regional Minster Hon. Albert Abongo and his deputy, the MCE Dr Stanislaus Kadingni, the NDC National Women’s Organiser, Chiefs and Queen mothers as well as NDC party supporters," the report said.
The GII findings also accused the Member of Parliament for the Ellembelle Constituency and the Minister for Petroleum, Honourable Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah of financial support to "drivers in Jomoro, Nzema East and Ellembelle to secure drivers’ licenses."
READ MORE: GII condemns BoG for sole sourcing procurement of gold watches
"He also helped those who needed to upgrade their licenses. He hosted the registration exercise at the AYA Community Center. Many drivers secured their licenses while others were not able to, due to a shortage of the registration forms on Friday August 12, 2016," the report added.
--Abuse of incumbency--
The distribution of outboard motors by president John Mahama on August 16 in the Western Region was captured in the report as an abuse of incumbecy.
The commissioning of a mechanized borehole for the Amedzofe College of Education (AMECO) in the Ho-West District of the Volta Region by the Vice Presidential Candidate of the NPP, Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia was labelled as “providing last minute infrastructure, construction, etc. and the provision of other services to communities aimed at securing votes”.
READ MORE: GII accuses Mahama of vote buying
The report added that there is an increasing worrying development of “vote selling” where communities are demanding the provision of social amenities from especially the incumbent government before they will vote in the upcoming elections.