…As murder accusations take over Ayawaso Wuogon campaign
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary candidate for Ayawaso West Wuogon Constituency, John Setor Dumelo, has fallen into a clever trap set for him by the lady he is seeking to dislodge from the seat at the forthcoming Parliamentary election.
The actor, has since been forced by a hitherto unknown group calling itself the Widows Association in Ayawaso West Wuogon, to apologise to Lydia Seyram Alhassan, the current Member of Parliament (MP) for the area and the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) parliamentary candidate, whom he had referred to as, “Bloody Widow”.
Addressing a section of the Parliamentary Press Corps (PPC) in Accra, yesterday, Thursday, August 29, 2024, the Majority Women Caucus, led by their Chairperson and NPP MP for Asokwa, Patricia Appiagyei, condemned this statement as baseless, malicious, and an insult to all women in leadership positions.
“This outrageous and contemptible statement is not only a vicious attack on Hon. Lydia Seyram Alhassan but also an insult to all women who work tirelessly to serve their communities and the nation in positions of leadership”, Patricia Appiagyei, noted.
Supporters of Lydia Alhassan, had provoked Mr Dumelo, by accusing him of killing his beloved mother, Antoinette Ama Ampomah Dumelo, a retired Deputy Commissioner of the Customs, who died on Tuesday, August 15, 2023, at age 71.
The NDC Parliamentary candidate, who was angry at the accusation, in retaliation called his opponent, “Bloody Widow” during a live TV show in reference to the death of Emmanuel Kyeremanten Agyarko, who was the MP for Ayawaso West Wuogon constituency, but died on November 21, 2018, in the United States where he was receiving to treatment.
The cause of his death, at the Yale–New Haven Hospital, was reportedly acid reflux and a malignant gallbladder infection.
A diehard member of the governing NPP, Mr Agyarko, was the MP for the Ayawaso West Wuogon Constituency from 2012 until his demise in 2018. He had replaced the current Chief of Staff, Frema Opare, as MP for the area.
He was replaced by Lydia Alhassan with whom he had several children, although he legally remained married to Josephine Naana Agyarko.
A pharmacist by profession, he was once the Chief Executive of the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), during the era of former President Kufuor from 2001-2009.
The NPP-backed Widows Association in Ayawaso West Wuogon, had, on Thursday, also expressed deep disappointment and strong condemnation of the comments made by John Dumelo against Lydia Seyram Alhassan.
In a statement, the Widows Association, labeled Mr Dumelo’s remarks as a severe affront to the dignity of widows, who already face significant emotional and societal challenges, following the loss of their spouses.
“His words are a painful reminder of the stigmatization and discrimination that widows often face in our society,” the statement in part read.
Mr Dumelo, has since been forced to issue a formal retraction and apology to Lydia Alhassan, following condemnation from the Widows Association in Ayawaso West Wuogon, which had criticized him for making “egregious and unsubstantiated” allegations against Lydia Alhassan.
The politician had in one sentence apologised for his ‘bloody widow’ comment after it triggered a backlash from a section of the public, some of whom described him as uncivilised.
Twelve hours after that apology which read, “I apologize and retract the comments I made earlier on today on tv3”, Dumelo shared a longer post on X.
According to him, the comment does not reflect his values or what he stands for.
In the official statement, Dumelo explained that his response was triggered by accusations from his opponent’s supporters, who alleged, among others, that he was responsible for his mother’s death.
However, he acknowledged that his reaction was not appropriate.
His post read: “I extend my sincere and unconditional apologies to Hon. Lydia Alhassan for my remarks during the Media General public engagement (Community Manifesto) concerning the death of her husband. To everyone who knows me, both in my private life and political activities, it is clear that those statements do not reflect my values or what I stand for.
“My comments were in response to personal attacks by supporters of the honorable minister, including false allegations regarding my mother’s death. However, I recognize that my reaction was inappropriate,” he posted on X.
During a TV3 community watch programme, Dumelo stated that the supporters of the Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, were mocking him for taking a state car, hence his anger towards Lydia Alhassan.
He said, “I want to say something. I can see their supporters have been mentioning V8, V8, V8. If that is the case, then it is also fair to say that maybe Lydia is the one who killed her husband to become MP. That is it because if they want to go that tangent, I can also go the same tangent. If they want to go that tangent, I will go the same tangent because this time around, it is boot for boot.”
“You cannot decide to be a bloody widow to be a Member of Parliament.”
His comment did not sit well with some social media users, particularly on X, who have descended on the actor-turned-politician.
In February 2019, some members of the Minority waved papers which read “bloody widow” before they boycotted Lydia Alhassan’s swearing-in.
This, they argued, was in protest of the violence that marred the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election.
Patricia Appiagyei, added “The Majority Women’s Caucus in Parliament stands resolutely with Hon. Lydia Seyram Alhassan. We fully support her decision to seek legal redress and encourage her to take this matter to a court of competent jurisdiction, where Mr Dumelo will be compelled to prove his baseless and malicious allegations.”
The Caucus believes that taking legal action will send a strong message that women in politics will not be bullied or intimidated by false and damaging allegations, hence, their full support of Seyram Alhassan, who is also the incumbent MP for Ayawaso West Wuogon, in her pursuit of justice.
“Hon. Alhassan has done nothing but serve her constituents and the nation with dedication and integrity”, said a member of the Women’s Caucus, adding that “We will not stand idly by while her reputation is tarnished by baseless accusations.
Concerned with the situation, the Majority Women’s Caucus are urging all women in politics to stand together against such attacks and to support one another in the face of adversity.
They are also calling on all political actors to conduct their campaigns with decency and respect and to refrain from personal attacks that undermine the democratic process.
“The progress of our democracy depends on the ability of all participants to engage in meaningful debate on ideas and policies without descending into the gutter of unfounded and disrespectful allegations”, Appiagyei, known in the political circles as Mama Pat, asserted.
