Political analyst, Dr. Jonathan Asante Otchere has remarked that the degree of commercialization within the country's electoral system is more prevalent under the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration compared to previous regimes.

Dr. Asante Otchere's observations follow an incident involving the sitting Member of Parliament (MP) for the Kwadaso constituency, Dr. Kingsley Nyarko, who was captured on camera distributing a white envelope to two Electoral Commission officials during the Ejisu by-election on Tuesday, April 30.

The circulating video of the NPP MP has sparked widespread criticism and raised concerns about addressing the longstanding issue of commercializing the electoral process.

However, the Electoral Commission, in its initial inquiries into the matter, stated that the envelope's contents were intended for lunch and not to influence its officials.

“It is just quite unfortunate. This kind of opulence and daylight influence of elections has raised its ugly head more than ever in the regime of the NPP.

“I can say that there is not a single regime that is innocent of this practice but the level at which we are seeing now is just quite unbelieveable and mind-blowing,” Dr. Asante Otchere said on TV3 News 360.

He added, “If Dr. Nyarko had not been caught on video, he wouldn’t have accepted that I gave this envelope to the EC officials to buy water.”

Expressing his dismay, Dr. Asante Otchere remarked, "This kind of lavishness and overt interference in elections has become more prevalent than ever under the NPP regime. While no regime is entirely innocent of such practices, the current extent is simply staggering."

He continued, "Had Dr. Nyarko not been captured on video, he likely would not have admitted to providing the envelope to the EC officials for refreshments."

Furthermore, Dr. Asante Otchere pointed out that the government resorts to vote-buying and electoral interference due to the failure of its policies to address the populace's issues.

"The government's interventions have not yielded the desired outcomes, prompting it to resort to purchasing votes," he stressed, suggesting that the resources used to influence voters could instead be invested in projects beneficial to the electorate.

Dr. Asante Otchere strongly criticized the NPP, stating, "It is disgraceful for a party that prides itself on being a democracy torchbearer. In terms of the Fourth Republic, they have regressed significantly and deserve unequivocal condemnation."

Additionally, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), which abstained from the by-election, has declared its intent to pursue Dr. Nyarko's alleged bribery of EC officials to a logical conclusion.