The MP for Ayawaso West Wuogon and parliamentary candidate of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Lydia Seyram Alhassan, has strongly defended her decision to distribute food to voters during the special voting exercise on Monday, 2 December 2024.
According to her, the gesture was done out of “a good heart” and was not driven by any malicious intent. Her remarks follow a viral video showing the MP and the NPP’s constituency women’s organiser distributing packs of food in white bags to prison officers queuing to cast their ballots at the Legon Police Station.
The incident provoked an angry reaction from the opposition NDC’s parliamentary candidate, John Dumelo, who criticised the gesture and vowed to give the MP a “showdown”.
Explaining the situation during an interview with Accra-based Citi FM on Tuesday, 3 December, Alhassan clarified that the food packs were initially intended for her agents at the polling station. However, as her team distributed the items, some voters requested food, which they provided out of kindness.
She questioned:
So when people are doing things out of a good heart, they see that’s my mother, they have been there since morning, they needed to refuel. And if we do that, should that be used against us?
She further noted that the practice of sharing food at polling stations is a standard one employed by both major political parties in the country, making her actions no exception.
The standard practice, as I said, is that both parties across this country make provisions for officers who are coming there to work. We even make provisions for journalists who are coming there to work.
When questioned about the legality of her actions, Lydia Alhassan stated that the incident is under investigation by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).
She, however, accused the NDC’s candidate, Dumelo, of persistently launching scathing attacks on her integrity to score political points ahead of the elections.
The MP affirmed her commitment to ensuring peaceful elections in the constituency during the 7 December polls.