Greater Accra Regional Minister, Linda OclooThe Greater Accra Regional Minister, Linda Ocloo, has dared the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to also engage in vote buying if they believe the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) is doing so.
The NPP has accused the NDC of sharing money with voters to influence them to support its candidate, Ewurabena Aubynn—a claim some voters reportedly confirmed in media interviews.
But addressing journalists at a polling station on Friday, July 11, Mrs. Ocloo, who is also the Member of Parliament for Shai-Osudoku, dismissed the claims and insisted the money was meant to cover voters’ transportation costs.
“I mean, every election there is vote buying. So if we are buying votes, they should also buy the votes,” she told reporters.
She added, “We have members who travelled all the way from Kumasi, and they have to come and vote. So if such people come, you have to give them TNT [transportation] to go and vote. I don’t think it’s vote buying.”
When pressed about whether sharing money undermines the integrity of the process, she responded, “Which one is integrity? If someone is loyal to you, why not? The person will vote for you, with or without money.”
Voters in 19 polling stations returned to the polls on Friday to decide who becomes their Member of Parliament after a six-month impasse.
Meanwhile, the exercise has recorded incidents of chaos at some polling stations, with voting at St. Peter’s Polling Station coming to a halt for hours after a violent invasion by thugs who assaulted several people, including journalists.
