Some assembly members in Cape Coast known as Concerned Assembly Members have returned a cash “gift” of GHS3,000 meant to bribe them so they endorse President Nana Akufo-Addo’s already-twice-rejected mayor nominee Ernest Arthur.

Mr Arthur failed to garner the two-thirds majority endorsement needed to be confirmed as mayor on the two previous occasions.

During the first vote, 31 out of 65 members rejected Mr Arthur.

On his second attempt, he gained 40 ‘yes’ votes which still fell short of the two-thirds majority.

The spokesperson for the concerned assembly members, Mr Osam Abam Agyen, told journalists that they will not be bought by Mr Arthur.

“This [GHS3,000] was given to us as a gift”, he explained to journalists at a press conference, adding: “We didn’t ask for any money neither do we hide in any vacuum for any explanation [about what this money should be used for] ...

“He gave it to us as a gift and a gift is a gift but we, the concerned assembly members, are here to give it back to him”.

“The people of Cape Coast should stop pointing accusing fingers at us and we are here to protect our integrity”.

“The timing is good because we want our fellow assembly members to follow suit: that money given before voting is not a good ethical behaviour”.

“We are setting a precedent that we, the concerned assembly members in Cape Coast, are rejecting this gift; not in the stand of buying our conscience but we vote willingly that we represent Oguaa and Oguaa has spoken and that is it”.

“We have repeatedly rejected Ernest Arthur, the president’s nominee on two occasions. This is as a result of guarding against future violence and insecurity in Cape Coast”, he noted.

Again, he added: "We took this firm stance on the background that the gentleman in question has a bizarre attitude toward the elders and people of Cape Coast as well as the technocrats he is working with”.

“They executed projects without recourse to the assembly. We are also worried and sympathise with our colleague whose appointment he revoked at the assembly during our voting without any explanation to the assembly members”.