The Speaker of the KNUST-DLSA Senate, David Opare Donkor (Kwame Wilder), has called for urgent reforms to the electoral system of the National Union of Ghana Students, citing concerns about excessive campaign spending, alleged vote buying and the exclusion of eligible students from voting at the union's 59th Congress.
In a statement issued after the congress, Mr Wilder said student elections should serve as a training ground for responsible leadership, but reports of financial inducement and the denial of voting opportunities to qualified students from recognised tertiary institutions were troubling.
"These allegations, if established, must be thoroughly investigated and addressed through the appropriate channels," he said.
He said it was worrying that student elections could be influenced by financial power rather than competence, integrity and the ability to serve.
"If we continue to say that the youth are the future of this country, yet we allow these kinds of practices to take root in student elections, then we must ask ourselves what future we are building for Ghana," he said.
Mr Wilder proposed that every eligible Ghanaian student enrolled in a legally recognised tertiary institution should have the opportunity to vote directly in NUGS elections.
He said a well-organised direct voting system, supported by a credible voter registration process and proper verification of students' identities and institutional enrolment, could expand democratic participation and reduce the excessive influence that money may have on a limited number of voters.
Under such a system, he said, candidates would be encouraged to engage the wider student population, present practical policies and demonstrate their commitment to student welfare rather than concentrate their resources on influencing a relatively small group of delegates.
"I acknowledge that moving from a delegate-based system to direct voting would require the necessary constitutional amendments, electoral regulations and administrative arrangements," he said. "However, these challenges should encourage meaningful dialogue rather than prevent us from considering reforms that could strengthen student democracy."
He called on the leadership of NUGS, student leaders, recognised tertiary institutions and all relevant stakeholders to review the existing electoral framework and consider measures that guarantee every eligible student a fair opportunity to participate in choosing the union's leadership.
Mr Wilder emphasised that his concerns were not intended to undermine the union or discredit any individual or candidate, but to protect the credibility of NUGS and ensure that allegations of electoral malpractice were treated seriously, investigated fairly and addressed appropriately.
"Student leadership must be built on competence, integrity, accountability and a genuine commitment to service," he said. "No student should feel excluded from the democratic process because of the institution they attend, and no candidate should be placed at a disadvantage simply because they lack the financial resources to compete in an expensive electoral environment."
He said the practices tolerated in student institutions today could influence the political culture carried into national life tomorrow, adding that there was a need to be deliberate about building a system that teaches young people the true meaning of democracy.
"Our democracy must not be for sale, and the future of student leadership must not be determined by financial power," he said.
