Lydia Seyram Alhassan, the Member of Parliament for Ayawaso West Wuogon, has addressed public criticism after a video surfaced showing her and her constituency women’s organizer distributing food to voters during the Special Voting exercise on Monday, December 2, 2024.
The incident, which occurred at the Legon Police Station polling center, raised concerns about voter influence and electoral ethics. The MP was seen handing out food packages to individuals in the queue.
Speaking on Citi FM’s Breakfast Show with Bernard Avle on Tuesday, December 3, Lydia Alhassan dismissed claims of improper conduct, explaining that her actions were motivated by compassion.
She recounted that the gesture began when someone in the queue requested water, which her women’s organizer provided. Observing others who appeared tired or hungry, she extended the courtesy to them.
“I thought there were people who needed food after I served my team, so I decided to give it to them. Did you see me giving out food to the people in the queue? The lady with me received a request for water, and while providing it, she also gave it to two other people who needed water,” she clarified.
Critics, including her political opponent John Dumelo, questioned whether this act could be interpreted as an attempt to sway voters.
In response, Lydia Alhassan refuted such allegations, emphasizing that her presence at the polling station was solely to monitor the process as a stakeholder. She noted that the food distributed was primarily intended for her agents and media personnel facilitating the exercise.
“As a stakeholder, I had to be there to oversee the process. We sent food specifically for our agents and even served the media personnel present. The aim was to ensure everyone involved in the voting process was taken care of,” she explained.
She also addressed reports of further incidents following her visit, asserting that she had left the polling station before any such events occurred.
“I was told there was an incident after I left. When asked about it, I made it clear I was not there at the time. Later, I saw a video of my opponents making remarks about me,” she added.
Lydia Alhassan reaffirmed her commitment to the electoral process and dismissed the claims as politically motivated attempts to tarnish her image.