The Executive Director of ACILA, Mr. William Nyarko, has called for reforms in political finance laws across Africa to compel electoral candidates to disclose donations received during campaigns and file financial reports and returns. He noted that the current legal gap is a recipe for corruption, state capture, and the misuse of public resources.
Addressing participants during a three-day high-level reform panel on “Who Does What and How?” at the Financialization of Politics Conference in Accra, Mr. Nyarko identified the absence of candidate-level campaign finance disclosure requirements as one of the most significant weaknesses in Africa’s political finance architecture.
“One of the key gaps in political finance regulation across Africa is that candidates are often not required to report donations received during campaigns or file financial returns. This creates a major transparency and accountability deficit because much of the money that finances elections is given directly to candidates rather than through political parties”, he said.
According to Nyarko, political financiers frequently provide resources directly to candidates with the expectation that they will receive favourable treatment, contracts, appointments, or other benefits if the candidate eventually assumes public office.
“When financiers invest in candidates, they often expect returns on that investment once those candidates gain access to state power. Without disclosure requirements, citizens have no way of knowing who is financing political campaigns, the scale of the support provided, or what influence those financiers may ultimately exercise over public decision-making.”
Mr. Nyarko noted that the problem remains widespread across Africa with more than 30 African countries still lacking legal provisions requiring candidates to disclose campaign contributions and expenditures or submit post-election financial reports.
He argued that the failure to regulate candidate financing runs contrary to international and regional anti-corruption obligations that many African countries have voluntarily accepted.
He cited Article 7(3) of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC), which calls on State Parties to enhance transparency in the funding of candidates for elected public office and, where applicable, the funding of political parties noting that 53 of Africa’s 54 countries have ratified or acceded to UNCAC, which makes its provisions binding on almost every state on the continent.
He also referenced Article 10 of the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption (AUCPCC), which promotes transparency in the financing of political parties and democratic processes observing that 43 African countries have ratified or acceded to the AUCPCC, which demonstrates a broad continental commitment to combating corruption and promoting accountability in political financing.
“The legal and policy frameworks are already there,” Nyarko pointed out and added that “the challenge is that many countries have not translated these international and regional commitments into domestic laws that require candidates themselves to disclose the money they receive and spend during elections.”
He warned that the consequences of the regulatory gap extend far beyond elections, often affecting governance and public service delivery after candidates take office.
“In many cases, it is the people’s money and public resources that are ultimately used to repay political financiers”, and that when campaign funding is hidden from public scrutiny, it creates fertile ground for corruption, patronage, procurement manipulation, and the diversion of scarce public resources away from national development priorities.
Mr. Nyarko urged governments, legislatures, electoral management bodies, anti-corruption agencies, and civil society organizations across Africa to prioritize reforms that require candidates to publicly disclose campaign donations, report expenditures, file financial returns, and submit to independent oversight and auditing.
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