The Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) has expressed concern over the rising cost of contesting presidential elections, cautioning that the country’s democracy risks falling under the control of a wealthy elite.

Speaking at an Open Society forum in Accra, the think tank’s Executive Director, Professor H. Kwasi Prempeh, disclosed that running a successful presidential campaign in Ghana now requires an estimated $200 million.

He warned that such prohibitive costs effectively exclude capable but less resourced leaders from competing for power.

“You now need about $200 million to win a presidential contest.

How many of you can ever realistically be in that category?

Even at the parliamentary and primary levels, the barriers are already far too high for many,” Prof. Prempeh said.

He further cautioned that if politics becomes the preserve of the wealthy and well-connected, Ghana’s democratic and developmental goals will be at risk.

“We cannot have that kind of democracy and expect it to be developmental.

That is why campaign financing and regulation of internal party democracy must become urgent national priorities,” he stressed.