Bribery and Corruption allegations have rocked the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), following the party’s internal primaries held at the Ayawaso East constituency on Saturday, 7 February 2026, ahead of the by-election in the constituency on Tuesday, 3 March 2026, following the death of the sitting member of Parliament.
The primary saw Ghana’s High Commissioner to Nigeria, Baba Jamal Mohammed Ahmed, emerge victorious with 431 votes. His closest contender, Hajia Amina Adam, widow of the late MP Naser Toure, garnered 399 votes, while Mohammed Ramme, Dr. Yakubu Azindow, and Mohammed Najib received 88, 45, and 1 vote respectively.
Baba Jamal’s campaign is alleged to have distributed items, including 32-inch televisions and boiled eggs, to delegates. The campaign has insisted that these gestures were acts of goodwill, not intended to sway the outcome of the internal NDC primaries.
President John Dramani Mahama, following the bribery allegations, directed the immediate recall of Mohammed Baba Jamal Ahmed (Baba Jamal) from his position as Ghana’s High Commissioner to Nigeria.
The directive, announced in a press statement signed by Minister for Government Communication Felix Kwakye Ofosu on Saturday, February 7, follows Baba Jamal’s participation and subsequent victory in the National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary primary for the Ayawaso East Constituency.
While multiple candidates faced allegations of vote-buying during the primaries, President Mahama noted that Baba Jamal was the only serving public officer implicated. He emphasised that, although the NDC has launched its own investigations, decisive action was necessary to uphold the integrity of public office and ensure compliance with the Government’s Code of Conduct for Political Appointees.
The recall takes effect immediately. The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has been instructed to carry out all necessary administrative and diplomatic procedures to implement the President’s directive.
The President of IMANI Africa, Franklin Cudjoe, in a Facebook post, urged the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to annul the outcome of its parliamentary primary in Ayawaso East, citing alleged violations of the party’s electoral code.
In the post which followed the tightly contested primary on Saturday, Mr. Cudjoe called on the party to take decisive action against individuals whose conduct, he said, undermined the integrity of the process.
“The NDC should annul the Ayawaso East elections and punish culprits who violated the electoral code. The results were influenced by naked bribery. NDC, be different,” he wrote.
Mr. Cudjoe’s call adds to a growing debate over the ethical standards of party primaries and the enforcement of rules against delegate inducement.
Prior to the election, polling by Global Info Analytics, led by Executive Director Mussa Dankwah, had projected Hajia Amina Adam in the lead with 54 percent support, while Baba Jamal was expected to secure only 38 percent. Despite these projections, Baba Jamal won and will now lead the NDC into the forthcoming Ayawaso East by-election.
In a related development, the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has launched investigations into allegations of vote buying and related corrupt practices during the New Patriotic Party presidential primary and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary primaries in the Ayawaso East constituency.
In a statement issued on Sunday, February 8, the OSP disclosed that probes have begun into claims of vote-buying, vote-selling, and the sources of funding for the alleged corrupt acts during the NPP presidential primary held on January 31, 2026.
The Office also confirmed that it has commenced real-time investigations into similar allegations arising from the NDC parliamentary primary in Ayawaso East on February 7.
“The investigations focus on allegations of vote buying, vote selling, and the sources of funding of the alleged corrupt acts,” the statement read.
The Special Prosecutor further revealed that a separate probe has been opened into the assault of an OSP-authorized officer during the NDC primary.
According to the statement, one of the NDC candidates, Mohammed Baba Jamal Ahmed, allegedly incited individuals to physically attack the officer while he was serving an investigative directive related to vote buying and selling.
The OSP reminded the public that the law strictly prohibits corrupt acts in elections, emphasising that vote buying, vote selling, intimidation, threats of violence, and acts of violence connected to elections are serious criminal offences.
Reports from the NDC parliamentary primary indicate that delegates received 32-inch television sets from Baba Jamal Mohammed Ahmed’s campaign team as voting commenced. Free boiled eggs were also distributed, prompting jostling among some voters eager to get them.
Similar concerns were raised during the NPP presidential primary, where delegates in the Odododiodioo Constituency allegedly threatened to boycott the election unless they received a GH₵700 transportation allowance promised by the campaign team of presidential aspirant Dr Bryan Acheampong.
