Alhaji Mohammed Baba Jamal Ahmed of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has won the Ayawaso East parliamentary by-election, retaining the seat for his party with a decisive margin.
Official results released by the Electoral Commission of Ghana confirmed that Baba Jamal secured 10,884 votes, representing 63 percent of valid ballots cast. His closest contender, Baba Ali Yussif of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), obtained 4,009 votes, while Ibrahim Iddrisu of the Liberal Party of Ghana polled 43 votes. Two independent candidates, Umar Sanda Mohammed and David Akonor, garnered 1,885 and 104 votes respectively.
Out of 17,048 ballots cast across 113 polling stations, 16,928 were valid, with 120 rejected ballots. With 49,966 registered voters in the constituency, turnout was notably low.
The by-election was held to fill the vacancy created by the death of sitting Member of Parliament, Naser Toure Mahama, in January 2026. The poll, conducted on March 3, was generally peaceful, with security personnel deployed early to maintain order in Nima, Maamobi, Accra New Town, and surrounding communities.
Supporters of Baba Jamal gathered at the forecourt of the collation centre ahead of the official declaration, celebrating what had already appeared to be a comfortable lead.
Speaking after being declared winner, the MP-elect dedicated his victory to his family and constituents. “I dedicate this win to my 90-year-old mother Mimi and the people of Ayawaso East. This victory is for the people of Ayawaso East,” he said. He pledged to focus on development in the constituency, adding: “I want to assure the people of Ayawaso East that the resetting starts now. I am here to help rebrand Nima.”
Earlier, Baba Ali Yussif conceded defeat and congratulated his opponent, while noting that the low turnout reflected voter disaffection. “The people have spoken and we’ll take it in good faith,” he remarked, suggesting that the NPP could capture the seat in future contests.
Baba Jamal, born May 7, 1969, in Akwatia, Eastern Region, is a lawyer and senior member of the NDC. He studied at the University of Ghana and was called to the Ghana Bar in 2015. He previously served as Member of Parliament for Akwatia from 2013 to 2017 and held a deputy ministerial position during President John Dramani Mahama’s first term. In 2025, he was appointed Ghana’s High Commissioner to Nigeria but was recalled in 2026 over allegations of voter inducement during primaries—claims later found to be unfounded.
His victory marks a return to Parliament after nine years and extends the NDC’s hold on Ayawaso East, a constituency the party has controlled since 1992. Baba Jamal is expected to be sworn in at the next sitting of Parliament by Speaker Alban Bagbin.
Source: Graphiconline
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