The cost of running for Ghana's presidency has soared to an estimated $200 million, pricing out all but the wealthiest contenders and risking the capture of democracy by elites, according to a leading think tank's warning at a forum in Accra.

Professor H. Kwasi Prempeh, Executive Director of the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), delivered the stark assessment during an Open Society Foundations event on Monday, September 15, 2025.

Prempeh argued that such financial barriers stifle capable leaders from ordinary backgrounds, turning elections into a playground for the rich and well-connected. "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," he observed.

The figure encompasses campaign expenses, voter outreach, and logistics in a nation where GDP per capita hovers around $2,200. Prempeh stressed that without urgent reforms in campaign financing and party democracy, Ghana's aspirations for inclusive governance could crumble. "We cannot have that kind of democracy and expect it to be developmental," he said, calling for national priorities to regulate internal party processes and curb undue influence.

Ghana's electoral landscape has long grappled with money's role, with past polls drawing scrutiny for lavish spending. The 2024 elections, where President John Dramani Mahama secured a second term, saw candidates pour millions into rallies and ads, but CDD-Ghana's estimate highlights a new threshold amid economic strains like inflation and youth unemployment.