Delegates in the Ayawaso East Constituency’s National Democratic Congress parliamentary primary received 32-inch TVs courtesy of Baba Jamal Mohammed Ahmed’s campaign team on February 7.
The team also distributed free boiled eggs to delegates, which led to some jostling among voters attempting to receive the items.
Baba Jamal had faced criticism for alleged vote buying and undermining the electoral process.
However, he defended his actions, stating that there was nothing wrong with the gesture, citing his history of charitable acts during Christmas and festival periods.
Additionally, he announced the allocation of over GHC 2 million for a soft loan scheme aimed at supporting small businesses within the constituency.
He stressed the items were presented as gifts and insisted he did not expect them to influence the choices of delegates.
“If you give TV sets to people, what is wrong with it? Is this the first time I am gifting things to people? Those who know me know that every Christmas, I have put down 2.5 million to give free loans to people. It is not vote buying. I have said that if somebody gives you a gift, you can take it. It is allowing that gift to influence your vote that is wrong,” he said.
The NDC is conducting the primary to select a parliamentary candidate for the upcoming Ayawaso East by-election, following a successful vetting process that cleared five aspirants, namely Mohammed Ramme, the NDC Constituency Chairman; Amina Adam, widow of the late Member of Parliament; Baba Jamal Mohammed Ahmed, Ghana’s High Commissioner to Nigeria; Yakubu Azindow; and Najib Mohammed.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana