‘I didn’t wash lady’s Pioto during door-to-door campaign’…..Mike Oquaye Jnr shouts from Dome-Kwabenya

The New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Parliamentary Candidate for Dome-Kwabenya, has categorically denied allegations of washing a female constituent’s underwear, popularly called “Pioto” in local parlance.

According to him, he was only mimicking the late former President Jerry John Rawlings and the incumbent Member of Parliament (MP) for Ablekuma South, Alfred Oko Vanderpuije, who did similar things.

A video last week surfaced on social media platforms showing Ambassador Mike Oquaye Jnr, helping a woman with her laundry, during his door-to-door campaign in the Constituency, which was once held by his father, Prof. Mike Aaron Oquaye, ex-Speaker of Parliament.

The viral video, has led to speculation that the former Ghana’s High Commissioner to India, was washing female underwear also known as “dross” in certain circles for votes in the forthcoming parliamentary elections.

The incident has sparked debate on social media, with people questioning the extent to which Ghanaian politicians, will go to secure votes.

But in a Facebook post dated Thursday, April 18, 2024, Ambassador Mike Oquaye Jnr, responded to his critics. He stated his intention to emulate the strategies of the late former President Jerry John Rawlings and Alfred Oko Vanderpuije, to win votes in the upcoming 2024 polls.

He clarified that, he had washed the jeans shorts of a female constituent’s son during his visit, not women’s underwear. He labelled the accusations by his opponents as “lies”.

He stressed his commitment to continue engaging with constituents through activities such as washing clothes, playing games, pounding fufu, and even plaiting hair.

“I will wash jeans shorts with my people for votes, I will pound fufu for votes, -JJ Rawlings did it. I will plait hair or even do banku on fire for votes – Oko Vanderpuije did it.

“What is your propaganda and lies that I washed so and so, which is a blatant lie and a complete fabrication? Why did you not say what I really did, chatting with and washing jeans shorts with a constituent. Was it because it would have been a useless story or because you wanted to lie and create fake sensational news?” he asked.

Ambassador Oquaye Jnr, expressed his desire to connect with his constituents to garner votes.

“I want the people to know that I am a regular person.”