The three-member committee set up by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to probe reported incidence of vote buying in the party’s parliamentary primary held on February 7 in the Ayawaso East Constituency, has reported that many of the aspirants engaged in the act.
This is contained in a six-page report sighted by 3news. The committee, which was chaired by former Minister for National Security, Kofi Totobi Quakyi, with Alhaji Inusah Fuseini and Madam Emefa Fugah as members, submitted the report to the Functional Executive Committee (FEC) of the NDC on February 10.
A key finding they made was that, “These practices were not confined to a single campaign; multiple aspirants engaged in the distribution of material goods and financial inducements to delegates.
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We note, however, that issues related to Hon. Mohammed Baba Jamal Ahmed were the most extensively documented by virtue of his statements and his status as a serving public officer, the committee explained.
The General Secretary of the NDC, Fifi Kwetey, after reviewing the report, said FEC recommended among others, that the candidate who won the primary, Baba Jamal, should be allowed to file his nominations to contest the March 3 election on the party’s ticket.
Speaking to journalists after receiving the report, Mr Kwetey said, The Committee could not annul the primary because the NDC Constitution contains no provision allowing annulment of primaries.
He also cited time constraints in meeting deadline for filing of nominations by the Electoral Commission as the reason why Baba Jamal has to be presented.
The decision to present Baba Jamal was influenced by time constraints, as the party must submit a candidate for the impending by-election, NDC’s General Secretary said.
Read full report below:
1. Having examined the evidence before us, including video footage, candidate statements on the public record, and submissions from all aspirants, the Committee is satisfied that widespread inducement and vote buying took place during the Ayawaso East parliamentary primary of 7 February 2026.
These practices were not confined to a single campaign; multiple aspirants engaged in the distribution of material goods and financial inducements to delegates. We note, however, that issues related to Hon. Mohammed Baba Jamal Ahmed were the most extensively documented by virtue of his statements and his status as a serving public officer.
2. It is important to state at the outset that our findings are institutional in nature. They are not directed at the character or long-term commitment of any individual aspirant.All the candidates are valued members of the Party who have contributed in various ways to its growth and electoral success. The issue before us is not one of personalities, but of process.
3. The distribution of items such as motorcycles and television sets to delegates on the day of a primary is, by its very nature, an act of inducement. It is neither necessary nor reasonable to suppose that such gestures have no effect on human conduct; the natural and foreseeable response to the receipt of a material benefit in the context of a decision is that it influences that decision.
These inducements automatically created conditions that undermined the perception and integrity of a level playing field. This Committee does not suggest that every delegate who received such items was “bought,” nor do we impugn the integrity of the many who voted on genuine conviction.
However, it is a reasonable and unavoidable conclusion that “gifts” of this character and scale, given directly to voters prior to, or in the course of, an ongoing election, were sufficiently substantial in nature to be construed as inducement.
The act of offering such inducement is itself the breach; it need not be demonstrated that each individual recipient changed their vote.
4. The assertion that vote buying and inducement during elections are historical precedents, and that the Ayawaso East primaries should therefore be exempt from scrutiny, is immaterial to the core issue. A political tradition as distinguished as ours must periodically reflect and recalibrate.
Concerned members across all levels of the Party have voiced grave apprehensions regarding this monetization; consequently, we submit that the NDC must now act decisively to signal its unwavering intent to confront this challenge head-on.
5. Accordingly, the Committee is of the view that the integrity of the process could best be protected by nullifying the results of the Ayawaso East Constituency primaries. We recognize, however, that this recommendation carries significant legal and practical implications, including the fact that the NDC’s Constitution does not contain provisions for the annulment of elections. The Ayawaso East primaries were supervised and the results certified by the Electoral Commission.
The Commission’s deadline for filing the Party’s candidate for the 3 March by-election is imminent. The determination of the appropriate course of action ultimately rests with the Functional Executive Committee (FEC) or the National Executive Committee (NEC), acting within the Party’s Constitution and in consultation with relevant authorities.
6. We are acutely aware of the time, resources, and goodwill invested by all aspirants, as well as the over one thousand delegates who participated in good faith.
Any decision taken will affect committed Party members who acted out of loyalty and conviction.It is therefore imperative that whatever course is adopted be clearly communicated as a step toward strengthening, not fracturing, the Party.
