Ghana’s Democracy at Risk as Cost of Presidential Campaigns hit $200m, Warns CDD
Ghana’s Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) has warned that the soaring cost of contesting presidential elections risks turning the country’s democracy into the preserve of the wealthy elite.
Speaking at an Open Society forum in Accra, CDD’s executive director, Professor H. Kwasi Prempeh, said it now takes an estimated $200m to run a successful presidential campaign in Ghana, a level that he described as a near-insurmountable barrier for many capable leaders.
“You now need about $200 million to win a presidential contest. How many of you can ever realistically be in that category? Even at the parliamentary and primary levels, the barriers are already far too high for many,” Prof Prempeh said.
He warned that if politics becomes the exclusive preserve of the wealthy and well-connected, Ghana’s democratic and developmental aspirations will be fundamentally compromised.
“We cannot have that kind of democracy and expect it to be developmental. That is why campaign financing and regulation of internal party democracy must become urgent national priorities,” he added.
The comments underscore mounting concerns about the influence of money in Ghana’s politics, with both major parties relying heavily on donor networks, corporate interests and diaspora financing. Analysts say the rising financial threshold risks crowding out reformist or independent voices, deepening the perception of politics as a “money game.”
