Fifi Kwetey is NDC’s General Secretary
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has provided reasons for its inability to annul the Ayawaso East parliamentary primaries, following its decision to retain Mohammed Baba Jamal as the party’s candidate for the upcoming by-election.
The party’s decision comes amid allegations of vote buying during the primary, which took place on February 7, 2026.
A three-member committee set up by the NDC to investigate the claims of inducement submitted a report that informed the party’s final decision.
Speaking to journalists on February 10, 2026, the NDC’s General Secretary, Fifi Kwetey, outlined several factors that prevented the annulment of the primary.
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He cited time constraints as a key limitation, noting that the Electoral Commission is scheduled to close nominations for the by-election on February 11, 2026, leaving little room for the party to restart the process.
Kwetey also highlighted legal and constitutional hurdles, explaining that the party’s constitution does not provide for annulment of parliamentary primaries in such circumstances.
He further noted that, while the investigative committee had recommended annulment, the party had to contend with practical obstacles.
“The committee’s report is that ideally, we should have annulment of the primary. However, the committee acknowledges that there are real obstacles that make it difficult for us to do that. The party’s constitution doesn’t have a provision for annulment of the election.
“We are time-bound because we need to present a candidate to the EC on February 11, and there are legal challenges that could be mounted by whoever won. In light of that, the party has taken the recommendations, and we have no option but to present Baba Jamal as our candidate,” he explained.
Kwetey also disclosed that the NDC plans to expand the investigative committee as part of broader internal reforms to strengthen party processes.
“We’re going to do a comprehensive review of the whole process that lead to our internal elections. We’re expanding the committee by adding four more members, to make it a 7-member committee, so that they come out with recommendations to deal with this inappropriate canker as far as the elections are concerned,” he said.
According to the General Secretary, the combination of time pressures, constitutional limitations, and potential legal challenges led the party to retain Baba Jamal as its candidate for the Ayawaso East by-election.
He also emphasised that the committee had identified inappropriate conduct by all candidates, highlighting the need for reforms to prevent similar issues in future internal elections.
We will maintain Mohammed Baba Jamal as our parliamentary candidate for the Ayawaso East by-election — Fiifi Fiavi Kwetey pic.twitter.com/CmByMn25sE
— 𝑳𝑶𝑵𝑮 𝑳𝒀𝑭 (@LongLyf2) February 10, 2026
AK/AM
Source:
www.ghanaweb.com