The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Parliamentary candidate for Ayawaso West Wuogon, John Dumelo, has formally filed a criminal complaint against the incumbent Member of Parliament (MP) for the constituency, Lydia Seyram Alhassan, following the food sharing incident during the special voting on Monday, December 2, 2024.

The incident, captured in a video, sparked widespread outrage, with critics describing it as unconstitutional.

This led to the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) launching an investigation into the matter.

Initially, Mrs. Alhassan denied the allegations, but in a subsequent interview with Citi News, she admitted to the incident, explaining that the food distribution was done at the request of voters.

The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) condemned the action, labeling it as an act of corruption.

In a Facebook post, John Dumelo confirmed that he had filed an official criminal complaint against Mrs. Alhassan, stating,

“This afternoon at about 1:00 pm, my team filed a formal criminal complaint against Mrs. Lydia Seyram Alhassan (the sitting MP for our beloved Ayawaso West Wuogon constituency) at the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP). The complaint entails video recordings of various conducts by Mrs. Lydia Seyram Alhassan which we believe breach our criminal and electoral laws.”

He continued, “My team also gave material information on plots by Mrs. Lydia Seyram Alhassan to unlawfully influence voters on a larger scale come Saturday, December 7, 2024, when the main election will be held. We expect the OSP to take immediate and decisive steps to not only prevent Mrs. Lydia Seyram Alhassan from repeating the unlawful behavior, but also to bring her and all her accomplices to book.”

Dumelo emphasised the significance of how the OSP handles the complaint, adding, “It goes without saying that how the OSP handles our complaint between today and Friday, December 6, will determine the quality of Saturday’s elections.”

Find below the complaint