The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament for Asuogyaman Constituency in the Eastern Region, Ampem Nyarko, has been accused of orchestrating an illegal voter transfer scheme ahead of the 2024 parliamentary elections.
The allegations, made by the New Patriotic Party (NPP), claim that Mr. Nyarko has been busing individuals from North Tongu and other constituencies to transfer their votes to Asuogyaman to bolster his chances of re-election.
The NPP has presented what it describes as “hardcore and irrefutable evidence” of this scheme, including a tape recording purportedly capturing Ampem Nyarko addressing the bussed individuals.
In the recording, Mr. Nyarko allegedly expressed concern over his slim victory margin in the 2020 elections and stressed the need to secure additional votes from outside the constituency.
“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,” Mr. 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, labelling them illegal and a reflection of Mr. Nyarko’s desperation due to his alleged unpopularity and perceived incompetence as 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.
“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,” he added.
The NPP has pledged to challenge every individual who they believe has been illegally facilitated to register or transfer their votes to Asuogyaman, ensuring their names will be 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 a related incident, the NPP claimed that Ampem Nyarko has extended his voter transfer efforts to the Kpong community in the Lower Manya Krobo constituency, allegedly offering GHC200 to individuals for transferring their votes.
Mr. Nyarko is also accused of attempting to persuade security personnel to transfer their votes to his constituency.