The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has selected Mr Baba Jamal Mohammed Ahmed to carry the party’s flag in the upcoming Ayawaso East parliamentary by-election scheduled for March 3. His victory followed a fiercely contested internal primary conducted on February 7, 2026.
Provisional figures announced after voting ended indicated that Mr Jamal, who currently serves as Ghana’s High Commissioner to Nigeria, emerged as the winner with 431 votes.
Trailing him narrowly was Hajia Amina Adam, widow of the late Member of Parliament, Mr Naser Toure, who secured 399 votes. Mr Mohammed Ramne, the NDC Constituency Chairman for Ayawaso East, finished in third place with 88 votes.
Dr Yakubu Azindow polled 45 votes, while Mr Najib Mohammed Sani managed to secure only one vote.
The primary drew participation from over 1,100 accredited delegates across the constituency, highlighting the intense interest surrounding the selection of a candidate to defend what is widely viewed as a safe seat for the governing NDC.
In total, five aspirants competed in the contest. They included Hajia Amina Adam, Mr Baba Jamal, Dr Yakubu Azindow, who had earlier challenged the late MP during the party’s 2023 primary, Mr Mohammed Ramne, and Mr Mohammed Sani.
What initially appeared to be a wide-open contest gradually evolved into a three-way battle involving Mr Jamal, Hajia Amina Adam, and Dr Azindow as voting day approached.
Despite the competitive nature of the race, the process was overshadowed by allegations of electoral malpractice. Reports surfaced both on the eve of the polls and on election day suggesting that some delegates had been offered incentives such as television sets, money, and motorbikes in exchange for their votes. Social media footage circulating online showed individuals departing polling venues carrying television sets and other items.
Reacting to the claims, the NDC released a statement on the same day, noting that its national leadership had received reports of what it described as widespread incidents of inducement and vote buying allegedly perpetrated by some aspirants.
The party condemned the acts, describing them as an affront to its values and principles, and announced that it had launched investigations into the matter.
It warned that swift sanctions would be applied against any candidate found culpable, including the possible cancellation of elections in future cases.
With the internal contest settled, Mr Jamal is now positioned to lead the NDC into the March 3 by-election as the party aims to maintain its hold on the Ayawaso East parliamentary seat.
