Media personality and host of the Wontumi Nsempafie program, Mr. Kofi Asare, asserted on Saturday, March 1, 2025, that all 49 Assembly members from the Ashanti Region who supported Hon. Yaw Owusu Obimpeh’s candidacy for the Council of State were allegedly bribed with 50,000 cedis each.
Mr. Asare further claimed that each of the 49 Assembly members was provided with a wristwatch equipped with a camera, which was allegedly used to photograph the ballots as proof of their votes for Mr. Obimpeh after receiving the substantial bribes.
On the day of the election, Joynews reported that a majority of the assembly members arrived at the polling venue by bus, led by NDC Chairman Nana Akwasi, raising questions about the motivations behind this arrangement.
According to Mr. Asare, this bribery scheme was executed under the directives of President Mahama and the leadership of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), who were eager to secure a party loyalist as a member of the Council of State. Consequently, Yaw Owusu Obimpeh, the former Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NDC, won the election on February 1, 2025, achieving a significant victory with 49 votes. His closest competitor, Nkansah Boadu Nana Ayeboafo, received 35 votes, while Daniel Anarfi Yamoah managed only 1 vote. No other candidates received any votes. Out of the anticipated 86 votes, 85 valid votes were cast, with no ballots rejected. This election followed a previous attempt that was disrupted by chaos during the ballot counting process.
In light of these allegations, it will be crucial to observe whether the Office of the Special Prosecutor will pursue an investigation into the bribery claims, particularly given the involvement of the President’s name in the accusations.