The Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition has condemned the alleged distribution of food items to security agencies during the Special Voting exercise, calling it “disgraceful” and “nauseating.”
Samuel Harrison Cudjoe, the Programmes Officer at the coalition, in an interview with ABC News GH expressed concerns that the actions of political candidates and security personnel have compromised the integrity of the election process.
His comments came after the distribution of food and water by the Member of Parliament for Ayawaso West Wuogon, Lydia Alhassan, which was caught on camera and sparked public debate about potential voter manipulation.
Cudjoe criticized both the political candidates and the security agencies involved, stressing that there is no justification for such actions.
“There’s no excuse for the actions of the parliamentary candidates and the security personnel, and the culprits should be prosecuted,” he said during an interview with ABC News Ghana.
He also urged the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) to take action, calling for the immediate application of the law.
“The OSP ought to pick them up and apply the law. We all know where we draw the line,” he emphasized, warning that the argument of compassion could not justify electoral misconduct.
In response to the incident, the OSP has launched an investigation into the food distribution at the Legon Police Station, one of the special voting centers in the Ayawaso West Wuogon constituency.
This comes after a video surfaced showing Lydia Alhassan and her women’s organizer handing out food to voters in the queue.
The distribution sparked concerns about whether it was an attempt to sway voters.
However, Alhassan defended her actions, explaining that it was motivated by compassion, as some voters requested water, and she decided to extend help to others who appeared tired or hungry.
Alhassan further clarified that the food was intended for her agents and media personnel at the polling station and emphasized that her presence was to oversee the process as a stakeholder.
“We sent food specifically for our agents and also served the media personnel present,” she explained.
She denied the accusations of voter manipulation, stating that her focus was on ensuring a smooth election process and taking care of those involved.
Alhassan also mentioned that she had left the scene before the controversy escalated, refuting claims that she was involved when her political rival, John Dumelo, reacted to the food-sharing incident.
