National Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Sammy Gyamfi has lashed out at the New Patriotic Party (NPP) over the manner in which its primaries were conducted on Saturday.

He said the entire exercise was conducted in “an environment where those who could afford the biggest pecuniary or monetary inducements carried the day”.

Speaking at the weekly press briefing of his party in Accra, Sammy Gyamfi said the primaries by the ruling party were characterized by “obscene violence and unprecedented levels of vote-buying and showboating”.

The NPP on Saturday elected parliamentary candidates for the December 7 elections in constituencies where it has sitting members of Parliament (MPs).

About 40 MPs lost their candidature to fresh entrants.

Violence marred the exercise at some constituencies. At Effiduase Asokore Constituency, for instance, legal practitioner Adom Appiah, an aspirant, was allegedly assaulted by some military officers.

Sammy Gyamfi said even aside the violence, “huge amounts of money” exchanged hands, giving an accurate picture of the corruption in the Akufo-Addo-led government.

“Huge amounts of money in some cases GH¢6,000, GH¢5,000 per delegate, GH¢4,000 per delegate exchanged hands in the full glare of the media while material gifts such as refrigerators, flat-screen televisions, motorbike, tricycles and other valuables were distributed to bribe and induce party delegates.”

He wondered “how a party which few years ago was begging for money from kayayei and street hawkers, how a party which few years ago toured the world with a cup in hand begging for money can afford this level of opulence and ostentation three and half years after coming into office speaks volumes of the endemic corruption and thievery that has engulfed the Akufo-Addo [government]”.