In a Facebook post shared on Monday, February 9, 2026, Manasseh argued that while vote-buying is a long-standing problem in Ghana’s political system, the NDC deserves encouragement if it is genuinely prepared to confront the issue within its own ranks.
“Let’s not call the NDC hypocrites,” he wrote, reacting to criticisms labelling the party and its Members of Parliament as insincere for condemning practices many believe are widespread across the political divide.
According to Manasseh, the fact that vote-buying has occurred in the past should not be used to dismiss current efforts at reform.
“Yes, it has been happening, but it must end at some point. We must urge the NDC to purge its internal politics of the obscene monetisation,” he stated.
He noted that although critics argue that “no one is righteous as far as vote-buying is concerned,” this reality should not prevent decisive action.
Instead, he said, it should motivate political parties to begin enforcing higher standards.
Manasseh threw his weight behind calls to annul the disputed Ayawaso East primaries but stressed that stronger sanctions must follow.
“I support the annulment of the primaries. But it must not end there. Whoever is found to have paid induced voters should be disqualified from contesting in the rerun,” he said.
He described the situation as an opportunity for the NDC to set a new benchmark for internal democracy. “A lot has gone wrong in the past, but that doesn't mean we can't begin to fix it.
The NDC can begin from Ayawaso East,” he wrote, adding that the standards applied there should guide future internal elections across the party.
Drawing from his own research, Manasseh linked vote-buying to deeper structural problems within Ghana’s political system.
Recalling interviews conducted in 2024 for his book, *The President Ghana Never Got*, he said he concluded that “our parliament does not represent us. Most MPs are there to make money.”
He explained that when candidates spend heavily to secure parliamentary seats, the incentive to recover those costs fuels corruption.
“When people pay money to get into parliament, they will find ways, fair or foul, to recoup that money,” he wrote.
He further noted that the financial pressures of re-election often force MPs to depend on external financiers, sometimes allowing “some corrupt businessmen and women” to hijack the political process.
Manasseh maintained that the most effective way to combat vote-buying is through strict enforcement of rules at the party level.
“The best avenue to fight vote-buying is at the party level,” he said, urging that the NDC be supported in its efforts—provided it follows through with credible investigations and sanctions.
His comments come amid heightened scrutiny of the Ayawaso East primaries, where allegations of inducement have triggered probes by the party and drawn the attention of the Office of the Special Prosecutor.