During a heated televised political conversation in the constituency, John Dumelo, who was being booed with chants of V8 whilst he was speaking, angrily responded by asking if he could also accuse the sitting New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament of allegedly being involved in her husband's death to gain power.
Dumelo made the controversial comments during an appearance on TV3’s Community Watch programme, implying that Lydia might have played a role in her husband’s death to secure her position as MP.
Following further reflection, Dumelo has disclosed that he was reacting to personal attacks from supporters of the NPP candidate, which included false allegations about his own mother's death.
He admitted that these attacks pushed him out of character, leading to his inappropriate remarks. In his apology, Dumelo said, “I apologise and unreservedly retract my previous comments. I extend my sincere and unconditional apologies to Hon. Lydia Alhassan for my remarks during the Media General public engagement (Community Manifesto) concerning the death of her husband.”
He continued, “To everyone who knows me, both in my private life and political activities, it is clear that those statements do not reflect my values or what I stand for. My comments were in response to personal attacks by supporters of the honourable minister, including false allegations regarding my mother’s death. However, I recognise that my reaction was inappropriate.”
Dumelo reassured the constituents of Ayawaso West Wuogon of his dedication to their development and progress, emphasising his commitment to serving the community.
Dumelo is contesting the parliamentary seat for Ayawaso West Wuogon on the NDC ticket, having previously run against Lydia Alhassan in the 2020 elections, where he narrowly lost by about 2,000 votes. Despite the past defeat, Dumelo remains hopeful of winning the upcoming general elections on 7th December.