The Member of Parliament for Asuogyaman Constituency, Ampem Nyarko of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), is facing allegations of being involved in an illegal voter transfer scheme. These allegations, made by the New Patriotic Party (NPP), suggest that Nyarko is transporting people from North Tongu and other constituencies to transfer their votes to Asuogyaman in order to improve his chances of being re-elected.
The NPP claims to have “hardcore and irrefutable evidence” of this scheme, including a recorded conversation in which Nyarko allegedly discusses the need to secure additional votes from outside the constituency due to his narrow victory margin in the 2020 elections.
“In 2020, I beat Paul Ansah with a margin of 1,200 out of 24,000… so this is not a place to joke. If you joke a little, it can slip,” Nyarko said in the recording. He also reportedly promised monetary incentives to those who transferred their votes, offering GHC100 to successful transferees and GHC20 for transportation to those who attempted but failed to transfer their votes.
The NPP has condemned these actions, labeling them illegal and a reflection of Nyarko’s desperation due to his alleged unpopularity and perceived incompetence as an MP. They argue that his eight years in office have been marked by failure, with no significant achievements to benefit the constituents of Asuogyaman.
“We condemn this illegal conduct by the NDC in the Asuogyaman constituency,” stated Evans Osei Yeboah, the Eastern Region Communications Officer for the NPP. He added, “Persons who are not residents of Asuogyaman but clandestinely brought in by the NDC for the purposes of vote transfer shall be prevented by any means of illegally transferring their votes to the constituency.”
The NPP has pledged to challenge every individual they believe has been illegally facilitated to register or transfer their votes to Asuogyaman. They aim to ensure these names are removed from the final voter register. They asserted that Pius Enam Hadzede, their parliamentary candidate, remains the preferred choice of the Asuogyaman electorate and will emerge victorious in the upcoming elections.
In another incident, the NPP claimed that Nyarko extended his voter transfer efforts to the Kpong community in the Lower Manya Krobo constituency, allegedly offering GHC200 to individuals in exchange for transferring their votes. Nyarko is also accused of attempting to persuade security personnel to transfer their votes to his constituency. The allegations have sparked controversy and raised concerns about the integrity of the electoral process. The NPP’s commitment to challenging these alleged illegal transfers underscores the high stakes of the upcoming elections.
Source: Ghana Web
