‘Inappropriate conduct’ label grounded in NDC constitution — Gbande on vote-buying claims

The Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mustapha Gbande, says the party’s description of alleged vote-buying during its Ayawaso East primary as “inappropriate conduct” was based strictly on provisions within its constitution.

Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on Wednesday, Gbande explained that while the reported acts were unacceptable, they are not explicitly defined in the party’s constitution as offences warranting harsher sanctions.

“The description of what has transpired to us constituted inappropriate conduct,” he said. “Because, again, if it were captured in our Constitution, I’m sure that it would have been given a different description.”

His comments follow the establishment of an NDC investigative committee to probe allegations that aspirants distributed inducements, including television sets and cash, to delegates during the party’s February 7 primary.

Gbande said the party’s response represents a significant step toward regulating internal political conduct and discouraging inducement in internal contests, adding that the matter could inform future reforms.

“And so I’m sure that it will become part of that regulation going forward,” he noted, stressing that the party’s public position alone sends a strong signal.

He further argued that the NDC’s handling of the matter was unprecedented and should encourage other political parties to adopt similar measures to address inducement in internal elections.

However, host Evans Mensah questioned whether the party had imposed meaningful consequences despite acknowledging the issue.

In response, Gbande pointed to actions taken against Baba Jamal, describing him as the only senior government appointee directly affected so far.

“Number one, Baba Jamal… was reprimanded by President Mahama,” he said, linking the action to what he described as the government’s broader “reset agenda” and a newly introduced code of conduct for public appointees.

Gbande maintained that the party could not impose sanctions beyond reprimand where the conduct is not expressly captured as an offence in its constitution.

“Can you go beyond reprimand when the conduct is inappropriate? No, unless we want to assume the role of a state institution, which we don’t have that capacity,” he stated.

He insisted that openly confronting the issue and initiating internal scrutiny was itself a meaningful intervention aimed at curbing inducement within party politics.