Special voting: Lydia Alhassan breaks silence on viral food sharing video
The Member of Parliament for Ayawaso West Wuogon, Lydia Seyram Alhassan, has defended her actions following the viral video of food sharing during the special voting held on December 2, 2024, at the Legon Police Station polling centre.
The incident sparked public debate about voter influence and electoral ethics, as the MP was seen handing out food packages to individuals in the voting queue.
According to the legislator, the food and water were based on request.
In an interview, Lydia dismissed allegations of malicious intent, stating that her actions were purely driven by compassion.
She explained that personnel in the queue asked for water. Her women’s organiser provided the water, and observing others in need, the MP extended the gesture to those who appeared tired or hungry.
“I thought that there were some people who would need food after I have served my people, and so I decided to give it [the food] to them [the people in queue]. Did you see me giving out food to the people in the queue? The lady with me received a request for water, and in her attempt to give it to the person who requested it, she ended up giving it to two other people who also needed water.”
Critics, including her political opponent John Dumelo, raised questions about whether this act could be perceived as an attempt to influence voters.
However, Lydia Alhassan rejected such claims and emphasised that she had only come to the polling station as a stakeholder to monitor the voting process and ensure everything was running smoothly.
“As a stakeholder, I had to be there to oversee the process. We sent food specifically for our agents and also served the media personnel present. The idea was to ensure that everyone involved in facilitating the voting process was adequately taken care of,” she explained in an interview monitored by The Ghana Report on Citi FM.
Addressing the aftermath of her visit, Lydia Alhassan noted that she had left the location before any further incidents occurred.
“As a stakeholder, I had to be there, and so I was there to monitor the process, and we sent food to be given to our agents, and we even served the media.
“After I left, I was told that there was an incident but I was not there, and so when I was asked about the incident, I said I was not near there and so didn’t know anything about the incident, and it was later that I saw a video of my opponents calling me names.”