Tensions have risen in the Ayawaso West Wuogon Constituency following an incident involving the incumbent Member of Parliament (MP) and New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidate, Lydia Alhassan.
The MP was seen distributing food packs to voters participating in the Special Voting exercise at the Legon Police Station, one of the designated polling stations in the constituency.
Alhassan, with the assistance of her team, provided food to voters waiting in line, a move that has drawn criticism from her political opponent, John Dumelo, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary candidate for the constituency.
Dumelo strongly condemned the distribution, arguing that it compromised the integrity of the electoral process. “Why are you sharing food with people in the queue? Why are you doing that? Does it mean we cannot share food too? We can also share the same, but let’s respect the rules of the Electoral Commission,” Dumelo said. “Don’t share anything with people in the queue who have not voted yet. We don’t even know what’s in those packs, and you’re giving them out to voters who haven’t cast their ballots. Why? Do they think we can’t do it? We can do the same and even worse. They shouldn’t even try us.”
In response to the criticism, Lydia Alhassan dismissed the claims, attributing the opposition’s accusations to political attacks. “They’re always trying to attack me. They always do this, but here I am. By the grace of God, I have a temperament that is able to contain all of this,” she said, emphasizing her composure despite the ongoing controversy.
