Pressure is mounting on President John Dramani Mahama to extend disciplinary action beyond Baba Jamal following allegations of vote inducement during the National Democratic Congress parliamentary primary in Ayawaso East.
The General Secretary of the NDC, Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, says the investigative findings indicate that Baba Jamal was not the only government appointee implicated in the controversy. According to him, at least two additional contestants who currently hold government appointments were cited in the probe and should face similar consequences under the code of conduct for public officials.
Mohammed Baba Jamal Ahmed, who emerged victorious in the primary, was serving as Ghana’s High Commissioner to Nigeria before being recalled from his diplomatic post after the allegations surfaced. The presidency explained that the sanction was necessary because he was a public officer contesting in the election, although accusations of vote-buying involved several candidates.
Addressing journalists after the investigative committee submitted its report to the party’s Functional Executive Committee, Mr Kwetey said the party acknowledged the President’s decision but believes the disciplinary measures should not be selective. He noted that the recall of Baba Jamal demonstrated responsiveness to the allegations but argued that consistency was necessary, Graphic Online reported.
“We think that was appropriate by the President, but we also want to urge the President that apart from Baba Jamal, we think two other candidates involved are also in positions of appointment. We think they are on various boards, and similar measures should be taken [against them] as well, to make sure that we, as a party, anyone who was involved in this inappropriate conduct, have to be punished once they are appointed by the government, so that is what we are recommending to the President to take [action].”
Mr Kwetey further disclosed that the party plans to review its internal electoral procedures. To strengthen the process, four additional members will be added to the three-member committee chaired by Kofi Totobi Quakyi, expanding its mandate to conduct a broader assessment of the primaries.
The committee’s report revealed that four out of the five contestants in the election were involved in acts of inducement. The only candidate cleared was Najib Mohammed Sani. The findings named Baba Jamal and Hajia Amina Adam, widow of the late Member of Parliament, among those accused of distributing money to delegates.
Mr Kwetey insisted that the President must also consider action against government appointees linked to the allegations, including Hajia Adam, who currently sits on the boards of Prestea Sankofa Gold Mines and the Ghana Hajj Board.
When pressed on whether the party would punish other candidates implicated in the matter, Mr Kwetey reiterated his position. “I just answered that. I just told you that apart from Baba Jamal, there are others who are part of the five, who are also appointees of the government. So our recommendation is the President should take the step also to be able to take them out of whatever position they are in.”
Additional details of the alleged inducements were provided by former Tamale Central MP and committee member, Inusah Fuseini, during a radio interview on Radio Gold in Accra. He disclosed that delegates collectively received significant sums from candidates.
Mr Fuseini said delegates received “not less than GH¢10,000” each from all candidates combined, adding that the “standard going amount” stood at GH¢3,000 per candidate.
He stated: “Aside Najib who got one vote, it was established that he didn’t give anybody anything. Everybody else dropped something.”
The investigative process involved consultations with regional executives, the director of elections, the General Secretary, the director of special operations Ludwig Hlordze, the deputy national organiser, constituency executives, and all five aspirants.
Mr Fuseini described the violations uncovered by the inquiry as severe breaches of party principles.
He said the investigation revealed “widespread breaches of the principles, values and ideology of the party.”
He explained: “There were material and monetary inducements that took place in the primary of the Ayawaso East constituency that could induce voters to act one way or the other. And that had the propensity to change the outcome of the election.”
Mr Fuseini added: “We came to the conclusion that those inducements violated, breached certain provisions of laws that we have in Ghana, especially the Constitution of the Republic of Ghana, the Political Parties Act, the regulations, the C.I. 127 issued by the Electoral Commission.”
The committee also examined whether the results of the primary could be overturned but encountered legal limitations. Mr Fuseini pointed out that the Electoral Commission supervised and validated the election, creating significant barriers to nullifying the outcome.
“One such legal hurdle would be whether or not the party can cancel an election conducted and supervised by the Electoral Commission, which has certified the results of that election as fair, transparent and valid,” he stated.
He said further scrutiny of the NDC constitution showed no legal basis for cancelling the election after certification. “We perused the entire NDC constitution. And there is no provision in the constitution of the NDC that grants the power to any structure of the party to annul elections after they have been so conducted,” he said.
Despite the findings, Mr Kwetey confirmed that the party had little choice but to maintain Baba Jamal as its parliamentary candidate, citing both legal constraints and deadlines.
“Given the difficulties of time and also the legal challenges, we have no option but to present Baba Jamal, who actually won, according to the Electoral Commission’s declaration,” he said.
Official results showed Baba Jamal polling 431 votes to defeat Hajia Adam, who secured 399 votes. The Electoral Commission had directed the party to submit a candidate by February 11, 2026.
The expanded committee will now examine structural reforms to prevent similar incidents in future primaries. Mr Kwetey stressed that the committee would present far-reaching recommendations aimed at eliminating such practices.
“That seven-member committee will extensively come up with recommendations as to how we can once and for all deal with this, shall I call it, canker, which has to do with anything that amounts to inappropriate conduct as far as primaries are concerned,” he stated.
The upcoming by-election scheduled for March 3, 2026 follows the death of the constituency’s MP, Mahama Naser Toure, on January 4, 2026. He previously represented Ayawaso East in Parliament on the NDC ticket.
