The Queen Mother of Ho-Dome in the Asogli Traditional Area, Mama Atrato II, has alleged that vote buying prevented Togbe Afede XIV from seeking a second term as President of the National House of Chiefs.

According to her, the election of leaders within the House of Chiefs has become heavily influenced by money and inducements, undermining the integrity of the institution.

Speaking at the JoyNews Impact Makers Foundation dialogue on "Democracy is not for Sale" on Friday, July 31, Mama Atrato II claimed that government officials distributed vehicles and cash to influence the outcome of elections within the chieftaincy institution.

"When we come to our chiefs, the most pathetic thing is that when you want to be the President of the House of Chiefs, people buy votes," she said.

She directly linked the alleged practice to Togbe Afede XIV's decision not to seek another term.

"And then the question is, why didn't Togbe Afede go for the second term? There was vote buying. Government was giving out cars and money. That was why Togbe Afede didn't go for the second term," she alleged.

Describing the situation as "disgraceful," the Queen Mother welcomed the Supreme Court's decision to abolish the delegate system, arguing that it had become susceptible to corruption.

"It's so disgraceful. So I am very much happy the delegate system has been abolished by the Supreme Court. And I salute all the panellists who were on that panel," she said.

She further claimed that aspiring delegates are even required to pay money even before participating in an electoral process.

"Before you even become a delegate, you have to pay. That is one thing. Before you become a delegate, you have to pay. So vote buying has come to stay," she stated.

Mama Atrato II expressed optimism that scrapping the delegate system would improve representation and ensure that capable individuals are elected to champion the development needs of their regions.

"Now that the delegate system is abolished, let us pray and see if we can get the right people to represent the region," she said.

She criticised some political leaders for pursuing personal interests instead of prioritising development.

"Most people that we put at certain places don't know that the region is in need of so many things. Our politicians are there for themselves, and they are never satisfied," she added.

The Queen Mother expressed hope that ending vote buying would pave the way for credible leaders who would effectively lobby for the development of their respective regions.

"And we pray that when the vote-buying system is abolished, we will get the rightful people to be put in certain places and to lobby for the region to be developed," she said.