Baba Jamal wins Ayawaso East Constituency seat
Baba Jamal Mohammed Ahmed of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) completed a comeback to Parliament as he clinched the Ayawaso East Constituency seat with an emphatic victory in yesterday's by-election.
As of the time of going to press around 10:30 pm, more almost six hours after polls closed, the former Akwatia Member of Parliament (2012-2016) had polled a little over 63 per cent of the total votes cast to retain the seat for the incumbent government.
His closest contender, Yussif Baba Ali of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) secured about 23 per cent of the valid votes cast.
The candidate, who left his ambassadorial appointment as Ghana’s envoy to Nigeria, sailed through in line with forecasts, retaining the seat which has traditionally been a safe seat for the NDC.
Two independent candidates, Alhaji Mohammed Umaru Sanda, who broke ranks with the NDC to stand on his own, and David Kannor, as well as Ibrahim Iddrisu, who stood on the ticket of the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG), together managed about 13 per cent of the valid votes cast.
The incident-free election recorded a low voter turnout with a heavy police presence.
Officials of the EC collating results
Baba Jamal, until recently Ghana's High Commissioner to Nigeria, stirred controversy recently during the party’s parliamentary primary, which was dogged by allegations of vote-buying.
He, however, brushed aside the personal battles, which included having to answer questions from the Office of the Special Prosecutor and his party over the allegations of vote-buying.
Such was it that even when his constituency executive defied party instructions to stage a claim for the seat, Mr Jamal Ahmed still held his own in the five-man contest, winning comfortably in a constituency that has shown support to the NDC over the years.
Voter turnout was low as is the case in all by-elections, but more so happening in a Muslim-dominated constituency during Ramadan fast. Analysts say the Ramadan fasting also impacted not only on the turnout, but also accounted largely for the very peaceful exercise.
It was significant that the emotive exercise had been without a case of violence of note. Ayawaso East recorded nasty incidents involving ammunition during campaigning for the 2024 elections, as supporters of the major parties had violent clashes in broad daylight.
Yesterday, it was to the credit of all stakeholders as the new culture of peace around elections earned one more feather.
Adorned in an all-white caftan, grey embroidery with his wife and party supporters by his side, Baba Jamal waited calmly at the St Kizito Roman Catholic Church at Nima Roundabout where results from the 113 polling stations were collated and declared.
His closest contender, Yussif, congratulated Baba Jamal on his victory even before the Electoral Commission declared him the ultimate winner.
“Although the results are not in I accept the outcome of the election in good faith. I congratulate my brother, Baba Jamal, on putting up a good fight and emerging victorious,” he told journalists.
Yussif, however, pledged to remain vocal and keep the MP and the governing party on its toes.
