Ghana Centre for Democratic Development — civil society organisation advocating for democratic accountability, transparency in political financing, and justice for election violence victims.
A Fellow at the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), Dr John Osae-Kwapong, says the political appointment of heads of key state institutions makes it difficult for the public to separate administrative actions from partisan politics. …
… The meeting was organised by the African Union Advisory Board Against Corruption (AUABC), the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), the Open Society Foundations and Transparency International. …
… The event was jointly organised by the African Union Advisory Board Against Corruption (AUABC), the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), the Open Society Foundations and Transparency International. …
… The organising partners were the African Union Advisory Board Against Corruption (AUABC), the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), Open Society Foundations and Transparency International. …
… But tracing where this money actually goes is nearly impossible. “CSR has become a slush fund, says a researcher at the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), and continuing with “Traditional leaders, district assembly officials, and even MPs demand direct payments …
The Executive Director of the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) has raised concerns about the Ghana Ministers of State Excellence Awards. …
The Executive Director of the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) has warned that awarding individual ministers for performance could undermine teamwork in government and complicate the President’s ability to manage his appointees. …
Bishop Emmanuel Kofi Fianu, chairman of the National Peace Council, has called for concerted efforts to ensure that elections across Africa become instruments of peace, unity and development rather than sources of conflict. He urged that electoral integrity encompass the entire electoral cycle, including voter registration, campaign financing, civic education, media engagement, vote counting, dispute resolution, and public acceptance of outcomes.
Bishop Emmanuel Kofi Fianu, chairman of the National Peace Council, has called for concerted efforts to ensure that elections across Africa become instruments of peace, unity and development rather than sources of conflict. He urged that electoral integrity encompass the entire electoral cycle, including voter registration, campaign financing, civic education, media engagement, vote counting, dispute resolution, and public acceptance of outcomes.
A Programmes Officer at the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) has warned that declining public confidence in Ghana's police service and courts could undermine public confidence in the justice system, noting that public trust in both institutions remains consistently low despite their critical role in protecting citizens' rights.
The Ghana Catholic Bishops' Conference said there was nothing improper about Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie visiting public institutions and commending improvements, but expressed concern that his reference to "the past eight years" during visits to SSNIT and MIIF could be interpreted as a political comparison between administrations.
International corporate lawyer Vicky Bright has described calls for Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie to resign over recent comments on state institutions as "a little bit excessive," noting that while his remarks raise legitimate concerns about judicial restraint and appearance of bias, they do not automatically constitute misconduct warranting removal.
The Ghana Catholic Bishops' Conference has urged Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie to avoid comparing successive governments' records when commenting on public institutions, saying his reference to the "past eight years" during September 2 visits to SSNIT and MIIF could be seen as a political comparison that risks weakening confidence in judicial impartiality.
The Ghana Catholic Bishops' Conference has rejected calls for Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie's resignation over political remarks made during visits to public institutions, though it acknowledged that his reference to "the past eight years" could reasonably be understood as partisan and damage the appearance of judicial impartiality.
The Ghana Catholic Bishops' Conference has cautioned Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie against public remarks that could create doubts about the political neutrality of the Judiciary. The Bishops said the Chief Justice's reference to "the past eight years" during visits to SSNIT and MIIF on September 2, 2026 could reasonably be understood in a political context and took on the character of a partisan judgment, though the Judicial Service later clarified the remarks were made in good faith.
Former Auditor-General Daniel Yaw Domelevo has called on Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie to refrain from publicly commenting on political matters that could later become the subject of litigation, warning that such pronouncements risk creating a perception of judicial bias. Domelevo said that holders of sensitive constitutional offices, particularly in the Judiciary, must exercise caution in public statements to protect the courts' neutrality and independence.
Political activist Dr Arthur Kobina Kennedy has urged Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie to stop touring state-owned enterprises and redirect his efforts toward addressing challenges within Ghana's Judiciary, saying such tours and remarks about SOE performance fall outside the proper scope of the judicial leader's role.
The Judicial Service reaffirmed Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie's commitment to judicial independence after public criticism of remarks he made during outreach visits to SSNIT and MIIF, where he praised improvements in their operations and questioned Ghana's performance over the previous eight years.
The Ghana Centre for Democratic Development has called on Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie to exercise restraint in public engagements, following comments he made comparing current and previous administrations at MIIF and SSNIT visits. CDD-Ghana said the remarks could be interpreted as partisan political endorsement and risk compromising the Judiciary's non-partisan mandate.
The Ghana Centre for Democratic Development organised a workshop in Kumasi for media practitioners on regulating political party financing, aiming to help journalists promote transparency and accountability. CDD-Ghana highlighted that political financing is a fundamental issue of democratic accountability and electoral integrity, noting that the public knows little about where political parties' resources come from and how much is raised and spent.
A legal practitioner warned at a CDD-Ghana workshop that the increasing monetisation of Ghanaian politics is weakening democratic institutions and allowing wealthy individuals with questionable interests to gain political influence. He called on media to investigate the financial interests behind political campaigns and urged Ghana's political system to promote integrity and commitment to public service over financial resources.
The Centre for Democratic Development has demanded justice for victims of 2024 election-related violence, arguing that accountability and completion of investigations into violence from the 2020 and 2024 elections are crucial to prevent future incidents and maintain national cohesion.
The Ghana Centre for Democratic Development has called for investigations into unresolved electoral violence cases from the 2020 and 2024 general elections, arguing that lasting peace requires justice for victims and accountability for perpetrators. A CDD-Ghana official warned that without investigation and accountability, affected families risk retaliation during future election periods.
Ghana's Supreme Court ruled that limiting political party primaries to delegates is unconstitutional, requiring parties to expand participation to all members in good standing. The ruling creates an opportunity to reform Ghana's political finance architecture and address the escalating cost of politics, with parties given one year to amend their constitutions.
Hanna Serwaa Tetteh, UN Special Representative for Libya and former Foreign Affairs Minister, has urged Ghana to strengthen its institutions, deepen regional diplomacy through the AU and ECOWAS, and build a resilient economy as the post-World War II international order weakens and geopolitical rivalry reshapes global relations.
James Agbey, an NDC member, has accused some government appointees of undermining President John Mahama's administration and warned the party will not allow "internal saboteurs" to derail the President's agenda. He said while Mahama enjoys strong public support, the conduct of some ministers and heads of state institutions is generating growing frustration.
African policymakers, anti-corruption agencies, and civil society organisations have adopted the Accra Declaration on Regulating Financing of Politics to Advance Democratic Integrity in Africa, calling for coordinated continental action to strengthen transparency, accountability and integrity in political financing. The declaration, adopted at a three-day conference in Accra held from July 14 to 16, warns that growing influence of money in politics is threatening democratic governance and eroding public confidence in institutions.
A CDD-Ghana fellow argues that state institutions will struggle to separate their actions from politics as long as their heads are political appointees, noting that leadership changes in these institutions often follow changes in government and that cases involving high-profile or politically exposed persons add further complexity.
A CDD-Ghana fellow says political appointment of heads of key state institutions makes it difficult for the public to distinguish administrative actions from partisan politics, a challenge that deepens when institutions investigate politically exposed persons or high-profile party figures.
Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, Second Vice-President of the Pan-African Parliament, has urged African governments to invest in economic empowerment of citizens alongside political financing reforms, arguing that poverty drives money politics and that legal frameworks alone cannot safeguard democratic governance.
The Chairperson of the African Union Advisory Board Against Corruption has identified opaque political party financing as a major enabler of corruption, illicit financial flows, and state capture in Africa, urging governments to enact and enforce laws regulating political funding to ensure elections reflect the will of citizens rather than hidden financiers' interests.
Ghana has called for urgent reforms to political financing across Africa, warning that growing money influence is undermining democratic integrity, excluding capable leaders, and weakening public trust in institutions. Deputy Minister Thomas Nyarko Ampem told attendees at a regional convening in Accra that rising campaign costs are preventing competent citizens, women, and young people from participating in politics.
Ghana, Africa's largest gold producer and the world's sixth-largest, accounts for nearly 40% of total exports but faces deep mismanagement and corruption. Successive governments have failed to establish transparent mechanisms for tracking mining companies' investments, production, taxes, and royalties, enabling systematic underreporting and loss of revenue.
The Supreme Court will deliver a judgment on July 29, 2026, in a constitutional case brought by lawyer Noah Ephraem Tetteh Adamtey, challenging whether Parliament lawfully granted the Office of the Special Prosecutor independent investigative and prosecutorial powers, arguing the 1992 Constitution vests prosecutorial authority exclusively in the Attorney-General.
The Deputy Attorney-General and 14 civil society organisations appeared at the Supreme Court for a case filed in December 2025 challenging whether Parliament unconstitutionally granted prosecutorial powers to the Office of the Special Prosecutor. The Attorney-General's office argues that Article 88(3) of the Constitution vests prosecutorial powers solely in its office and that Parliament acted unconstitutionally by passing the OSP Act, 2017.
The Deputy Attorney-General and 14 civil society organisations appeared at the Supreme Court for a hearing on a constitutional case challenging whether Parliament had the authority to grant the Office of the Special Prosecutor independent prosecutorial powers. The case, filed by private legal practitioner Noah Ephraem Tetteh Adamtey, argues that Articles 88(3) and 88(4) of the Constitution vest prosecutorial authority solely in the Attorney-General, and that the OSP Act 2017 was unconstitutional.
The Executive Director of Ghana's Centre for Democratic Development has warned that the Ghana Ministers of State Excellence Awards could undermine cabinet cohesion and complicate the President's management of ministers, noting that a third party's publicly declared "best minister" could create complications if the President is evaluating that minister's performance against internal benchmarks.
The Executive Director of the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development has warned that individual ministerial performance awards could undermine teamwork in government and complicate the President's ability to manage appointees, noting they may interfere with the President's constitutional authority to assess ministers based on internal benchmarks.