Special Voting: What kind of stupidity is this? – John Dumelo slams Lydia Alhassan for sharing food to voters

John Dumelo, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary candidate for Ayawaso West Wuogon, has openly criticised the incumbent Member of Parliament, Lydia Alhassan of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), for distributing packs of food to voters during the special voting process on Monday, December 2.

According to Mr. Dumelo, Lydia Alhassan’s act of sharing food to Electoral Commission officials and security personnel at polling stations constitutes voter inducement.

He argued that such actions could influence voters' decisions, which undermines the integrity of the electoral process.

Speaking to Joy News, John Dumelo questioned the rationale behind the distribution and called for adherence to electoral regulations.

"Why are you sharing food with people in the queue? Why are you doing that? Does it mean we cannot share food too? We can also share the same, but let's respect the rules of the Electoral Commission. Don't share anything with people in the queue who have not voted yet. And you're sharing food, and we don't even know what's in the thing. What kind of stupidity is this?" Dumelo fumed.

The actor-turned-politician further warned that his team would retaliate with similar acts during the general polls on December 7 but emphasised the need for fairness.

"Why? Do they think we can't do it? We can do the same and even worse. They shouldn't even try us," he added.

This incident comes as John Dumelo seeks to unseat Lydia Alhassan, who defeated him in the 2020 parliamentary elections.