By Grace Zigah
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has formally condemned what it describes as widespread inducement and vote-buying during the party’s parliamentary primary in the Ayawaso East Constituency, triggering an official investigation into the conduct of some aspirants and their campaign teams.
In a press statement issued on Saturday, February 7, 2026, the party’s National Secretariat said the attention of the national leadership had been drawn to multiple reports of bribery and inducement allegedly carried out at the voting centre during the primary.
The statement, signed by the General Secretary, Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, described the alleged acts as a direct violation of the party’s ethical standards and political values.
“The party vehemently condemns these actions in no uncertain terms as they represent an affront to the values and principles of the party and the reset agenda the party is championing,” the statement said.
According to the NDC, a full-scale investigation has been immediately launched to establish the facts surrounding the allegations, with the party pledging to take swift disciplinary action against any candidate or campaign team found culpable.
The leadership further warned that future violations of this nature would attract more severe sanctions, including the possibility of cancelling internal elections where vote-buying and inducement are established.
“The party is immediately instituting a full-scale investigation into this matter and will take swift action against any candidate found culpable,” the statement added, stressing that internal democracy must be protected from monetisation and manipulation.
Controversy
The strong response from the NDC leadership follows intense public attention on events at the Ayawaso East primary, which was organised to select a parliamentary candidate for the March 3, 2026 by-election.
The by-election was necessitated by the death of the sitting Member of Parliament, Naser Toure Mahama, creating a vacancy in one of the NDC’s most reliable strongholds in Greater Accra.
Five aspirants were cleared to contest the primary after vetting: Mohammed Ramme, the NDC Constituency Chairman; Hajia Amina Adam, widow of the late MP; Baba Jamal Mohammed Ahmed, Ghana’s High Commissioner to Nigeria; Dr Yakubu Azindow; and Najib Mohammed Sani.
The contest attracted intense interest due to the political importance of the constituency and the expectation that the NDC’s eventual candidate would be strongly favoured in the by-election.
Reports from the voting centre, the Nima Cluster of Schools, indicated that campaign teams of some aspirants distributed items and support materials to delegates, sparking public debate over ethical campaigning and the monetisation of internal party elections.
These developments triggered widespread criticism on social and traditional media, leading to pressure on the party’s national leadership to intervene.
Party leadership draws a red line
The statement from the National Secretariat marks one of the strongest internal disciplinary signals issued by the NDC in recent years regarding internal elections.
By threatening possible cancellation of future elections, the party leadership is seeking to reassert control over internal democratic processes and restore confidence in the credibility of party primary.
