In the politics of Ayawaso East, one number has come to define an entire scandal: 32. Thirty-two inches – the size of the television sets allegedly distributed to delegates on the primary day.
And thirty-two votes – the thin margin by which the former Ghana’s High Commissioner to Nigeria, Baba Jamal Mohammed Ahmed, secured victory in the National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary primary on 7 February 2026.
The symmetry is striking, almost theatrical. What may have been intended as “generous” gestures have instead become a potent symbol of the persistent blight of vote-buying in Ghanaian politics.
This is the chronicle of Baba Jamal: a tale of diplomatic elevation, grassroots ambition, explosive allegations, swift presidential intervention, and the broader reckoning it has forced upon the NDC and Ghana’s democratic culture.
THE MAN AND THE MOMENT
Baba Jamal Mohammed Ahmed is a seasoned NDC loyalist with a distinguished record of service. Until recently, he served as Ghana’s High Commissioner to Nigeria, a posting that kept him away from the daily intrigues of constituency politics. When the Ayawaso East seat became vacant following the death of the sitting MP, Mahama Naser Toure, Baba Jamal returned home to contest the NDC primary with further ambitions of contesting the by-election scheduled for 3 March.
He faced four other candidates in a tightly fought race: Hajia Amina Adam, the widow of the late MP, who enjoyed considerable sympathy; constituency chairman Mohammed Ramne; Dr Yakubu Azindow; and Najib Mohammed Sani. Few expected the drama that would unfold.
PRIMARY DAY AND THE 32-INCH SHADOW
Voting took place on Saturday, 7 February 2026. As delegates cast their ballots, videos rapidly circulated on social media showing party faithful receiving brand-new 32-inch television sets – reportedly from agents linked to Baba Jamal’s campaign. Some accounts also mentioned cash, food items, and other inducements from almost all candidates changing hands. Baba Jamal’s team described the distributions as “gifts” and tokens of appreciation for delegates who had travelled and given their time.
In subsequent statements, Baba Jamal confirmed the sharing of the televisions but insisted they were not intended to influence votes. “I have not engaged in vote-buying or any form of electoral malpractice,” he declared on 9 February, adding that he had always been generous to supporters during festive seasons and other occasions.
Yet the timing and optics proved toxic. In a contest involving just a few hundred delegates, the visual evidence of flat-screen TVs being handed out while voting was in progress ignited outrage.
When the results were announced, the numbers only amplified the symbolism: Baba Jamal Mohammed Ahmed — 431 votes
Hajia Amina Adam — 399 votes
Mohammed Ramne — 88 votes
Dr Yakubu Azindow — 45 votes
Najib Mohammed Sani — 1 vote
A precise 32-vote difference. The coincidence wrote its own headline.
THE BACKLASH AND MULTIPLE INVESTIGATIONS
The reaction was immediate and fierce. The NDC national executives, through General Secretary Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, condemned the “widespread incidents of inducement and vote-buying” and announced a full-scale internal investigation, promising swift disciplinary action against anyone found culpable.
The NDC Majority Caucus in Parliament went further, issuing a strongly worded demand for the immediate annulment of the results and disqualification of candidates involved in vote-buying. Civil society voices, including IMANI Africa President Franklin Cudjoe, echoed calls for total cancellation to protect the party’s integrity. President John Dramani Mahama took decisive executive action. He directed the immediate recall of Baba Jamal as High Commissioner to Nigeria, emphasising that, while allegations touched several candidates, Baba Jamal was the only serving public officer among them. The move was framed as essential to upholding standards in public service.
Compounding the pressure, the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) launched parallel investigations into alleged vote-buying and vote-selling in the Ayawaso East NDC primary (as well as in the New Patriotic Party’s recent presidential primaries). The OSP went further, accusing Baba Jamal of instigating thugs to assault one of its officers who attempted to serve an investigative notice during the primary – an allegation that adds a criminal dimension to the affair.
BABA JAMAL’S DEFENCE
Baba Jamal has maintained a consistent stance. He has rejected all claims of wrongdoing, pledged full cooperation with both the NDC’s internal probe and any state investigations, and appealed for party unity. In his post-victory statements, he described his win as one “for all” and urged rival candidates, delegates, and the broader NDC family to rally behind him for the March 3 by-election to retain the seat. Supporters argue that the intense scrutiny reflects internal factional dynamics or political overreach. Critics, however, see the episode as emblematic of a deeper malaise where money and material inducements continue to distort delegate choices.
WAY FORWARD: BREAKING THE CYCLE OF VOTE-BUYING
The Ayawaso East controversy must serve as more than a headline. It has exposed the urgent need for systemic reform in how Ghanaian political parties select candidates. The way forward requires decisive, multi-pronged action. Political parties, starting with the NDC, must strengthen internal regulations: introduce rigorous spending caps and monitoring during primaries, impose automatic disqualification for proven inducement, and shift campaigns toward policy and competence rather than material incentives. Real-time transparency mechanisms, such as independent observers at distribution points, could help deter malpractice. State institutions like the OSP and the Electoral Commission should consider greater oversight of party primaries, treating blatant vote-buying as the serious electoral offence it is. Criminal prosecutions, where evidence warrants, would send a powerful deterrent signal.
Above all, a cultural transformation is essential. Delegates must begin to value integrity and vision over immediate material gain, while aspirants must recognise that genuine leadership cannot be purchased with 32-inch televisions. The media, civil society, and ordinary citizens have a vital role in sustaining public pressure and refusing to normalise these practices. The NDC leadership now faces a defining test.
Concluding the ongoing investigations with transparency and applying sanctions where guilt is established would signal a genuine commitment to moral renewal.
HALF-MEASURES RISK ERODING THE PARTY’S CREDIBILITY AT A CRITICAL TIME.
The 32-inch TVs and the 32-vote margin may eventually slip from the headlines. Yet the questions they raise about the health of Ghana’s democracy must endure.
Baba Jamal’s chronicle remains unfinished; whether it ends in vindication, disqualification, or redemption depends on the investigations ahead.
What is beyond doubt is that Ghana’s politics deserves far more than contests decided by the size of a television screen.
The real measure of leadership will be whether this scandal finally prompts the long-overdue cleansing of vote-buying from our electoral bloodstream.
The writer, Samuel Ackom, is a Broadcast Journalist with Channel One TV and Citi FM
