NDC Majority Caucus wants Ayawaso East parliamentary primary annulled

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Majority Caucus in Parliament is calling for the immediate annulment of the Ayawaso East parliamentary primary over allegations of vote buying and inducement.

In a statement dated February 8, 2026, and signed by Majority Leader, Mahama Ayariga, the caucus said it had taken note of “widely circulated allegations of vote buying” in the just-ended primary held in the Ayawaso East Constituency.

The caucus said it “strongly condemns these developments against the background of the agenda to reset the politics of this country,” arguing that the allegations strike at the core of the party’s stated values and reform agenda.

Following what it described as “extensive deliberations,” the Majority Caucus said it had resolved to formally communicate its position to the Functional Executive Committee of the National Democratic Congress. Chief among its recommendations is that “the primary of the NDC organised in the Ayawaso East Constituency be annulled immediately.”

Beyond annulling the election, the caucus also called for firm sanctions against individuals found culpable. It proposed that “any candidate who participated in the said primary and has been established to have engaged in this unethical conduct be banned from participating in the subsequent primary after annulment of the election.”

The statement stressed that the caucus remains committed to “restoring integrity to our politics,” signalling a tougher internal stance as the controversy continues to unfold.

The Majority Caucus intervention comes a day after the party’s national leadership publicly condemned alleged inducement during the Ayawaso East contest and announced an internal probe.

In a February 7 statement signed by General Secretary Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, the NDC said its executives had been alerted to “widespread incidents of inducement and vote buying allegedly perpetuated by some aspirants.”

“The party vehemently condemns these actions in no uncertain terms as they represent an affront to the values and principles of the party and the reset agenda the party is championing,” the statement said, adding that the party had “immediately instituted a full-scale investigation into this matter.”

The national leadership also warned that it would “take swift action against any candidate found culpable,” cautioning that “more drastic sanctions would be taken, including possibly cancelling elections” if similar incidents recur.

The Ayawaso East primary was organised to select a parliamentary candidate following the death of the sitting MP, Naser Toure Mahama, last month. Provisional results showed Baba Jamal polling 431 votes, narrowly ahead of Hajia Amina Adam, who secured 399 votes. Mohammed Ramne polled 88 votes, Dr Yakubu Azimdow had 45, while Najib Sani obtained one vote.

Hajia Amina Adam, the widow of the late MP, entered the race amid heightened public interest and had been tipped by pollsters, including Global InfoAnalytics, as the favourite before voting.

However, the process was overshadowed by reports that inducements were being offered to delegates, including allegations that television sets were distributed by the Baba Jamal campaign during polling.

Baba Jamal, Ghana’s Ambassador to Nigeria, has rejected claims of wrongdoing, insisting in media engagements that his actions should not be misconstrued and did not amount to vote buying.

As the party’s internal investigations continue, the Majority Caucus position adds fresh pressure on the NDC leadership to take decisive action to safeguard primary elections.