Agyarko buying votes on Legon campus

It appears the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Parliamentary Candidate for Ayawaso West Wuagon, Emmanuel Agarko Kyeremanteng has tactically based his campaign at the University of Ghana, Legon to induce the student with money for their votes.

Mr. Agyarko, yesterday stormed the Legon campus, precisely Legon Hall and, in the full glare of onlookers, was seen giving away Ghc10 to any student that came his way to the annoyance of the other candidates contesting the 2012 elections.

What beats the imagination of people was the manner in which tertiary students, who many expected would rather scrutinize the policies of the candidates, surprisingly allowed themselves to be swayed with petty items and money.

When Mr. Agyarko phone was called, an aide of his expressed shock at the accusation but said he was going to seek clarification from his boss before speaking to the issue about buying votes with bags of rice, pure water and money.

Mr William Dorworkpor, the Progressive People’s Party (PPP) candidate who was saddened about the unpleasant incident for instance wrote on the social media internet, Facebook that “Agyarko Emmanuel Kyeremanteng, NPP Parliamentary candidate for Ayawaso West Wuogon is in Legon Hall right now, paying Ghc10 each for votes”.

The PPP candidate added, “When he was confronted he said it was koko money. Koko money, two weeks to elections,” Mr Dorworkpor wondered.

Registering his displeasure, he lamented “this vote buying scheme is disgraceful… please tell Agyarko that students of my hall, Legon Hall and the University of Ghana cannot be bought with Ghc10 each”.

Mr. Dorworkpor concluded, “Awake! Legon, pass this on to Agyarko and tell him he lost to the best candidate long ago”.

The vote buying scheme was spearheaded by a group of students who identified themselves as members of the Tertiary Education Students’ Confederacy (TESCON).

The agents of Mr Agyarko who are leading this operation started it for about three weeks ago, fully clad in the NPP paraphernalia and holding posters of Mr Agyarko.

From hostels to lecture halls, the group was going round the campus writing names of eligible voters who registered elsewhere to have their registrations transferred to the University polling station and vote for a fee and other juicy promises.

They were led by Gabriel Adu, a TESCON organizer and Jenifer Oti, a member who disclosed to the Herald that they were acting based on instructions from the NPP.

The Herald also spotted in their hands an exercise book containing a tall list of names supposed to be students who had so far been influenced per the inducement and empty promises.

The group mentioned a certain Benedict who is the TESCON president as a member of the “vote buying” gang, also leading another group.