Baba Jamal Mohammed Ahmed, Ghana’s High Commissioner to Nigeria, has emerged victorious in the National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary primary for the Ayawaso East Constituency, securing the party’s ticket ahead of the upcoming by-election.
The keenly contested primary was held on Saturday, February 7, 2026, to select a candidate to replace the late Member of Parliament, Mahama Naser Toure. Voting took place across two centres, with more than 1,000 delegates participating in the exercise.
At the close of polls and subsequent counting, Baba Jamal garnered a total of 431 votes to clinch first place. Hajia Amina Adam, widow of the late MP and widely regarded as a strong contender, followed closely with 399 votes. Mohammed Ramme, the NDC Constituency Chairman, polled 88 votes, while Dr. Yakubu Azindow secured 45 votes. Mohammed Najib finished with 1 vote.
The narrow margin between the two leading contenders underscored the intensity of the race and reflected deep divisions among delegates ahead of the by-election.
The primary attracted widespread attention not only because of the political significance of Ayawaso East as an NDC stronghold, but also due to allegations of inducement that surfaced during the voting process.
Videos circulating on social media showed some delegates in possession of items including boxed 32-inch television sets, which were linked to Baba Jamal’s campaign team. There were also reports that boiled eggs and other items were shared among delegates.
Responding to the controversy during the voting process, Baba Jamal dismissed claims of vote buying, insisting the items were merely goodwill gestures and not intended to influence delegates’ choices.
“Giving a gift is not the issue; what is wrong is allowing a gift to influence your vote,” he said, maintaining that delegates exercised their free will.
Despite the controversy, the voting process remained largely peaceful, with a strong police presence ensuring order at the Nima Cluster of Schools, where sorting and counting took place.
Baba Jamal’s victory came as a surprise to many political observers, particularly in light of pre-election projections by Global InfoAnalytics. Ahead of the primary, the firm’s Executive Director, Mussa Dankwah, had projected that Baba Jamal’s support was unlikely to exceed 38 per cent, based on polling data and prevailing trends within the constituency.
According to the forecast, Hajia Amina Adam was expected to win convincingly with an estimated 54 per cent support, and Mr. Dankwah had suggested that even under the most favourable conditions, a late surge for Baba Jamal appeared improbable.
However, the final results defied those projections, highlighting the fluid nature of internal party contests and the decisive influence of delegate dynamics.
With the primary concluded, Baba Jamal Mohammed Ahmed is now expected to lead the NDC into the Ayawaso East by-election, where the party will seek to retain the seat.
Party leaders are anticipated to rally behind him in the coming days, as attention shifts from internal competition to a unified campaign strategy ahead of the polls.
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