The parliamentary candidate from the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Baba Jamal, has claimed victory in the Ayawaso East by-election that took place on Tuesday, March 3, 2026, thereby securing the parliamentary seat for his party.
This by-election was necessitated by the vacancy left following the passing of the constituency’s Member of Parliament, Mahama Naser Toure, in January.
Baba Jamal outperformed his primary rival, Baba Ali from the New Patriotic Party (NPP), along with independent candidate Umaru Sanda Muhammed.
Baba Jamal received 10,884 votes; in contrast, NPP’s Yusif Ali Baba garnered 4,009 votes; Ibrahim Idrissu obtained 43 votes; Independent Candidate Mohammed Umar Sanda collected 1,885 votes; and Kanor David received 104 votes.
In total, 16,928 valid votes were cast, with 120 ballots rejected, resulting in an overall total of 17,048 votes cast.
The election results largely align with the forecasts made prior to the polls by the research firm Global InfoAnalytics, which had indicated that the NDC candidate would lead significantly after conducting surveys among voters in the constituency.
According to the pre-election survey carried out between February 28 and March 1, Baba Jamal was anticipated to secure approximately 75 percent of the votes, with Baba Ali lagging behind.
Independent candidate Umar Sanda Muhammed was expected to receive a smaller portion, while Ibrahim Iddrisu and David were projected to obtain minimal votes.
This victory reinforces the NDC’s influence in the constituency and signifies Baba Jamal’s return to Parliament after having previously served as the MP for Akwatia and in a diplomatic capacity as Ghana’s former High Commissioner to Nigeria.
Voter turnout at various polling centers was notably low yet peaceful, with electoral officials and security personnel supervising the process to maintain order throughout the event.
Baba Jamal is anticipated to be sworn into Parliament in the upcoming days, representing the constituents of Ayawaso East and continuing the legislative efforts left by the late Mahama Naser Toure.
