John Dumelo files criminal complaint against Lydia Alhassan over alleged electoral malpractice  

Parliamentary candidate for Ayawaso West Wuogon, John Dumelo, has filed a formal criminal complaint with the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) against the sitting Member of Parliament for the constituency, Lydia Seyram Alhassan, alleging electoral malpractice during the special voting exercise held on December 2, 2024.

In a Facebook post on Facebook today, Mr. Dumelo detailed the nature of the complaint, which includes video evidence of Alhassan allegedly distributing plastic bags containing food and other items to voters in the queue at the Legon Police Station polling centre.  

"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," Dumelo wrote. "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."  

Complaint details  

The complaint, filed by Dumelo's polling agent, Benjamin Avornyotse, alleges that Alhassan distributed the packages while whispering to voters in the queue.  

"I saw Ms Lydia Seyram Alhassan and a handful of her supporters holding several white plastic bags with contents which were not readily known," the complaint reads. "Later, I saw her hand several of the plastic bags to several of the men and women who were in the queue to cast their ballots."  

Mr. Avornyotse attached video evidence to support the claims and urged the OSP to take action to uphold the integrity of the electoral process.  

Lydia Alhassan responds  

In response, Madam Lydia Alhassan denied any intent to influence voters, stating that the food packages were meant for her campaign team, Electoral Commission agents, and journalists present at the polling station.  

"Someone in the queue asked for a package, and my women’s organiser, out of goodwill, gave one. That led to a few others being given," she explained in a radio interview with Citi FM on Tuesday. "It was not intentional, and I did not distribute anything myself."  

Alhassan acknowledged the incident as a misunderstanding and assured that measures would be put in place to prevent such occurrences in the future.  

Reactions and criticism  

The incident has sparked varied reactions, with Mr. Dumelo condemning it as a violation of electoral laws. In a video statement, Dumelo criticised the distribution of food to voters, saying, "Why are you sharing food with people in the queue? Let’s respect the rules of the Electoral Commission. This kind of behaviour must stop."  

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Dr Joseph Whittal, also weighed in, describing the incident as an embarrassment, particularly for security officers who were seen collecting food in the viral footage.  

"When I looked at the video, it was more of an embarrassment because security officers must be security conscious," Dr Whittal remarked.