Lydia Seyram Alhassan, Member of Parliament for Ayawaso West Wuogon, has addressed concerns following a video showing her distributing food during the Special Voting exercise. The exercise was held yesterday, December 2, 2024.
The incident, recorded at the Legon Police Station polling center, sparked debate over electoral ethics. Many critics suggest the act could influence voters. Lydia Alhassan, however, has dismissed these claims, describing her actions as an act of compassion.
Speaking on Citi FM’s Breakfast Show, the MP explained that the gesture began when someone in the queue requested water. Her constituency women’s organizer initially provided the water, prompting her to extend the offer to others who appeared tired or hungry.
“I thought that there were some people who would need food after I served my people, so I decided to give it [the food] to them [the people in queue]. Did you see me giving out food to the people in the queue? The lady with me received a request for water, and in her attempt to give it to the person who requested it, she ended up giving it to two other people who also needed water,” she said.
She refuted allegations of attempting to sway voters, emphasizing that she was only present as a stakeholder to monitor the voting process. She further clarified that food packages were primarily intended for polling agents and media personnel facilitating the Ayawaso West election.
However, critics, including her opponent John Dumelo, raised questions about the appropriateness of the gesture. Lydia Alhassan denied being present when Dumelo reportedly responded to the incident, stating she had left the venue before any confrontation occurred.
“As a stakeholder, I had to be there to oversee the process. We sent food specifically for our agents and also served the media personnel present. The idea was to ensure that everyone involved in facilitating the voting process was adequately taken care of,” she explained.
The video has reignited discussions on electoral ethics. However, Lydia Alhassan maintains that her intentions were solely to support those in need and ensure efficient operations at the polling station.
New Developments
John Dumelo, the NDC parliamentary candidate for Ayawaso West Wuogon, has filed a formal criminal complaint against Lydia Seyram Alhassan.
In a Facebook post on Tuesday, December 3, John Dumelo wrote, “This afternoon [December 3] at about 1:00 pm, my team filed a formal criminal complaint against MS. LYDIA SEYRAM ALHASSAN (the sitting MP for our beloved Ayawaso West Wuogon constituency) at the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).
“The complaint entails video recordings of various conducts by MS. LYDIA SEYRAM ALHASSAN, which we believe breach our criminal and electoral laws. My team also gave material information on plots by MS. LYDIA SEYRAM ALHASSAN to unlawfully influence voters on a larger scale come Saturday, December 7, 2024, when the main election will be held.
“We expect the OSP to take immediate and decisive steps to not only prevent MS. LYDIA SEYRAM ALHASSAN from repeating the unlawful behaviour but also to bring her and all her accomplices to book.”
Read also: Ayawaso West: Special Prosecutor to Begin Probe Over Food Distribution…
