Controversy as Muntaka Mohammed uses 6-year-old daughter's thumbprint to vote

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary candidate for the Asawase Constituency, Muntaka Mubarak Mohammed, has sparked controversy after he held the hand of a child said to be six years old to thumbprint the presidential and parliamentary ballot papers.

Visuals from the Peace of God polling station at Aboabo in the Ashanti region where the incumbent Member of Parliament went to cast his ballot show the legislator and his daughter clad in all-white apparel. Having gone through the process and received ballot papers, he walked to the designated box for thumbprinting with the little girl and held her hand to thumbprint.

He later took the ballot papers, folded them, and gave them back to the minor to drop in the ballot box.

The two showed the victory sign which has now been adopted by the opposition party as the return of John Mahama is 2nd on the ballot paper. Already a section of the public is asking whether his action is within the remits of the law.

“If you see her, she’s only six years old. She doesn’t even understand what’s going on. I raised her thumb and did the thumb-printing; it was virtually me doing it. If I had given it to her, she would not have even known what to do. She’s my princess and I came with her during the last elections. I’m just taking her through the process," Muntaka is said to have explained.

It is unclear if Muntaka's biggest opponent, Alhaji Alidu Seidu of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has voted yet.

The Asawase seat is one of three seats held by the NDC in the Ashanti Region, including Sekyere Afram Plains and Ejura Sekyedumasi.