NPP Primaries: I never saw anyone give or receive bribe – Sammi Awuku
New Patriotic Party (NPP) National Organizer, Sammi Awuku, has said despite allegations of vote-buying during the party’s primaries, he witnessed no such incident.
“It may have happened on my blind side, or it may have been a mere allegation,” he maintained in an interview on Citi FM, monitored by theghanareport.com.
During the primaries last Saturday, photos emerged showing some aspirants had given out items to delegates.
The picture of defeated Member of Parliament for La Dadekotopon, for example, was seen on blenders distributed to delegates in the area.
Sharing of flat screens and fridges on ongoing NPP primaries. What everybody is he/she will account for it. Useless government 😂😂😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/ljsV9EAJIr
— Randy Nana (@RandyNana5) June 20, 2020
Some delegates in the Nsuta-Kwaman-Biposo constituency in the Ashanti region claimed they were made to swear allegiance to Adelaide Agyeiwaa Ntim who offered them money for their votes.
They said they were made to swear, using the Antoa Nyamaa deity. The aspirant eventually won the primaries and has explained the money was not for votes but for transport.
Vote-buying and inducement during elections have been routinely reported in the media.
E hard o 😂#NPPPrimaries pic.twitter.com/idMkNOHQzW
— EL-DAD (@ChristDeKing) June 20, 2020
The NPP National Organiser said the party would probe reports of inducements during the primaries if such complaints are made to the party.
But he did not see any such attempt during the primaries.
“I heard allegations of inducements, bribing of delegates and all but let me be very honest and as a practising Christian, I never saw one aspirant or group of aspirants doling out money for bribing delegates,” he said.
“I also never saw any delegate or group of delegates giving money in that regard.” He suspected that “maybe it happened at dawn” or midnight.
You can’t fail to vote for me and keep my bikes, delegates told.
NPP parliamentary aspirant collects bikes from delegates after losing primaries at Assin North and justifies actions on video.
Watch! pic.twitter.com/jvuHs1DnhT— Ogbamey (@tweetogbami) June 22, 2020
In a related development, Joy News reported that an aspirant who lost in the Assin North constituency has gone back for all the bicycles he gave to delegates.
Eric Amankwa Blay went into the homes of delegates to collect some 250 bicycles he shared after he recorded just 44 votes against the incumbent MP Abena Duruwa Mensah who polled 389 votes.