The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) has issued a strong condemnation of the actions of Seyram Lydia Alhassan, the Member of Parliament for Ayawaso West Wuogon. The condemnation specifically targets Ms. Alhassan’s provision of food to voters during the special voting event held on Monday, December 2nd, 2024. Initially, Ms. Lydia Alhassan denied the incident.
However, following the emergence of a video clearly depicting her and her constituency women’s organiser distributing food to individuals waiting in line to vote, she offered a defense of her actions. The incident, which took place at the Legon Police Station polling center, has sparked significant public discussion concerning the potential influence of such actions on voters and broader questions of electoral ethics.
In an interview on Tuesday, December 3rd, 2024, on Citi FM’s Breakfast Show with Bernard Avle, Ms. Alhassan sought to explain her actions. She denied any malicious intent, characterizing her actions as purely compassionate. According to her account, the incident began when a member of the voting queue requested water. Her women’s organiser provided the water, and observing others who appeared tired or hungry, Ms. Alhassan extended the gesture of providing food to these individuals.
This explanation, however, was directly refuted by Dr. Joseph Whittal, the Commissioner of CHRAJ. In a press briefing in Accra on Tuesday, December 3rd, 2024, Dr. Whittal stated unequivocally that Ms. Alhassan’s actions constituted corruption. He emphasized that providing food or money to voters while they wait in line is legally considered improper and a serious breach of electoral integrity.
Dr. Whittal further noted that while such actions have not previously been observed among security officials participating in special voting, the incident involving Ms. Alhassan indicates a concerning development. He explicitly stated that CHRAJ will consider this incident when planning for future elections and implementing measures to safeguard the integrity of the electoral process. He highlighted that the actions are tantamount to corruption and integrity issues.
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