NDC Party elections must be contests of ideas, not auctions – Adams Karim

A member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr. Ewura Adams Karim, has called for unity, internal accountability and urgent reforms to curb the growing monetization of party politics following the Ayawaso East parliamentary primary held over the weekend.

Commenting on the aftermath of the closely watched primary and posted on his page on X, Mr. Karim emphasized that the foremost responsibility of the party is to retain the Ayawaso East seat in honour of the late Member of Parliament, Hon. Naser Toure Mahama, whose legacy of service, he said, must be protected.

According to him, while party members must rally behind the eventual winner, it would be irresponsible to ignore the concerns and “matters arising” that have emerged from the conduct of the primary.

“Our internal elections must not be reduced to auctions rather than genuine contests of ideas,” Mr. Karim stated, stressing that leadership within the NDC should never be determined by financial muscle but by service, competence and credibility.

He welcomed the decision by the party’s National Executives to institute a probe into allegations surrounding the primary, describing it as a bold and necessary step toward safeguarding the integrity of the party’s internal democratic processes.

Mr. Karim warned that the monetization of politics poses a serious threat not only to political parties but to the foundations of Ghana’s democracy as a whole.

He argued that whether at the level of party primaries or national elections, the power of the ballot must remain with the conscience of the voter, not the deepest pocket.

He further noted that the strength of the NDC lies in its unity and long-standing commitment to social justice, adding that the party is bigger than any individual ambition.

To earn the trust of Ghanaians, he said, the NDC must demonstrate that it has the capacity to discipline itself and uphold ethical standards.

“The ongoing investigation should not be used to tear members apart,” he cautioned, “but rather as an opportunity to sanitize and strengthen our internal systems.”

Mr. Karim called for broader reforms in the way political parties fund and conduct internal elections, urging the NDC to lead by example in ensuring that leadership is earned through merit and service, not distributed like a commodity.

He described the party’s decision to investigate itself as unprecedented in Ghana’s political history, insisting that it should be seen as a badge of honour rather than a weakness.

In his view, other political parties should learn from the NDC’s actions instead of using the situation for political propaganda, noting that the commercialization of elections is a national crisis that requires collective resolve.

By taking steps to correct itself, Mr. Karim said, the NDC is setting a standard for what a modern, transparent and accountable political party should look like.