The New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Communications Director, Richard Ahiagbah, has downplayed a video showing Kwadaso MP, Professor Kingsley Nyarko, giving a ‘white envelope’ to Electoral Commission (EC) officials during the Ejisu by-election.
Ahiagbah claimed that Prof Nyarko was merely discussing the electoral process with the officials and discovered they had not eaten, prompting his offer of money for food.
Appearing on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, May 4, the NPP spokesman dismissed suggestions that Prof Nyarko could have offered a smaller amount if his intention was genuinely to cover their meal expenses.
According to Ahiagba, even if Prof Nyarko had taken that course of action, individuals would have still accused him of bribing EC officials and considered his actions to be an electoral offense.
“If he had given 1 cedi to buy water, the same conversation would be had here, so it has nothing to do with the envelope or 50 cedis. The idea is that the individual at the moment decided to give that,” he said.
Mr. Ahiagbah emphasized that the ruling party did not condone or authorize the actions of the Kwadaso MP, making it clear that the NPP did not approve or design the controversial move.
“On his own humanitarian level (he) feels he wants to do that, we can judge it for what he has done and apply what systems we can put in place to check that in the future but he did that out of his goodwill seeking to help another.
“It cannot be for the purposes of the New Patriotic Party because I know he’s not been put to that,” Mr Ahiagbah clarified.
Source: Myxyzonline.com