The Member of Parliament (MP) for the Effutu constituency in the Central Region, Hon. Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin, is again allegedly paying electorates to vote for him in the upcoming 7th December general elections.

There are reports that hundreds of Effutu constituency voters undertake his vote-buying oath-swearings ceremony each day, sometimes under the personal supervision of the honourable MP, for GHC1,000.

A video of some Winneba residents standing by a river near Hon. Afenyo's home has surfaced online. In the video, the voters could be seen holding a bottle of schnapp while they swear an oath by a river near the MP's home. The people are heard saying that the river should deal with them in the event that they fail to vote for the MP.

It is reported that this happens almost everyday with a minimum of 200 people undertaking this votes-buying oath swearings ceremonies.

Some of the voters claim that they were invited to receive GHC,1000 but upon reaching there, they were forces to take oath before receiving the funds.

"Deal with me in any manner that you want should I fail to cast my ballot for Afenyo-Markin," one person swore to the river.

Someone else said: "I've voted for the NDC before but this time around I will vote for Afenyo-Markin and the NPP. Deal with me if I refuse to do so."

When asked what motivated them to take such a risk, some said the youth had difficulty finding employment.

Others stated that there was hardship in the area and that they were going for the funds to start a petty business.

"There's no job here, we are suffering. I wasn't expecting to swear an oath before getting this help from our MP but that's what we had to go through before they gave the money to us," a woman disclosed.

Others stated that even though they were forced to invoke curses on themselves before getting the money, nothing bad would happen to them. According to them, the MP himself, had deceived them with unfulfilled promises and that he [Afenyo] would take the lead if anyone had to die.

"We won't vote for him, and we are also not afraid of the curses invoked because nothing will happen to anyone," A man said shortly after leaving the MP's house with the cash.

In one of the sessions, as in the video attached, the NPP Effutu constituency secretary is seen leading in the oath'swearing ceremony.

Importing fetish priests

Hon. Afenyo-Markin was first accused of importing fetish priests to perform the swearings on behalf of the electorates.

However, some of the voters stepped out into the public to declare that they would not vote for him and that nothing would happen to them because, as they took the oath, it was done on their behalf.

Since then the MP is claimed to have insisted that the oath-taking be done by each voter personally.

"The MP previously brought in fetish priests to administer the oaths on behalf of the electorate, but he modified his approach after learning from the populace that they would not vote for him. Since then he required that each voter take the oath in person," A beneficiary of the MP's funds revealed.

He added that he [Afenyo-Markin] is usually personally present for the oath-taking ceremonies.

Below is a video of the NPP secretary leading some voters in one of the oath-swearing ceremonies: