The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has officially named Baba Ali Yussif as its parliamentary candidate for the Ayawaso East by-election slated for Tuesday, March 3, 2026, following a consensus-driven selection process.
In a press release dated February 9, 2026, the NPP stated that Baba Ali Yussif who is the current Constituency Secretary, was unanimously acclaimed after extensive consultations and recommendations from a Candidate Search Committee chaired by former General Secretary Mr. John Boakye.
The committee engaged stakeholders across the Ayawaso East Constituency and Greater Accra Region before recommending him as the candidate with the strongest prospects of winning the seat. Delegates at an expanded Constituency Executive Committee meeting and Delegates Conference on Sunday, February 8, 2026, endorsed the choice unanimously.
The NPP urged all members, supporters, and residents of Ayawaso East to rally behind Baba Ali Yussif to secure victory and restore effective representation, hope, and prosperity to the constituency.
The by-election was necessitated by the death of the incumbent MP, Mahama Naser Toure, leaving the seat vacant.
The announcement comes against the backdrop of controversy surrounding the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC)’s parliamentary primary held on Saturday, February 7, 2026, to select its candidate for the same by-election.
Mohammed Baba Jamal Ahmed, Ghana’s High Commissioner to Nigeria at the time, emerged victorious with 431 votes, defeating his closest rival, Hajia Amina Adam, who polled 399 votes. Other contenders included Dr. Yakubu Azindow (45 votes), Mohammed Ramne, and Mohammed Sani.
The NDC primary was marred by widespread allegations of vote buying, with reports indicating that delegates received inducements such as 32-inch television sets and boiled eggs from Baba Jamal’s camp.
In response, the NDC swiftly constituted a three-member investigative committee chaired by former Minister of Information Kofi Totobi Quakyi to probe the claims, recommend sanctions, and propose reforms to prevent future occurrences.
President John Dramani Mahama recalled Baba Jamal from his diplomatic post as High Commissioner to Nigeria amid the escalating scrutiny. The NDC Majority Caucus in Parliament has called for the annulment of the primary results and disqualification of implicated candidates.
Baba Jamal has categorically denied the allegations of vote buying or any electoral malpractices, pledging full cooperation with the party’s probe.
Additionally, the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has launched investigations into the alleged vote buying and related corrupt practices during the NDC’s Ayawaso East primary, as well as similar claims from the NPP’s earlier presidential primary. The OSP is examining issues including vote selling, inducements, and sources of funding for such acts.