The High Court in Accra has removed the final legal obstacle to the Ayawaso East by-election, striking out a lawsuit that sought to nullify the National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary primary over alleged vote-buying.
In a ruling delivered on 2 March 2026, the court described the action filed by pressure group Democracy Hub as “incompetent,” effectively ending its attempt to block the NDC’s parliamentary candidate, Mohammed Baba Jamal Ahmed, from contesting the seat.
The by-election is scheduled for 3 March 2026.
Democracy Hub had sued the NDC, the Electoral Commission of Ghana, and the Attorney-General’s Department, arguing that the party’s primary was marred by vote-buying and therefore lacked legitimacy. The group sought an order restraining the Electoral Commission from accepting or acting on Baba Jamal’s nomination.
However, lawyers for the NDC raised a preliminary objection, contending that the suit was fundamentally flawed and that the group lacked the legal standing required to pursue the matter.
Presiding judge Justice Agyenim-Boateng upheld the objection, ruling that the originating processes were defective. The decision set aside the processes and dismissed the case without examining the substantive allegations of vote-buying.
The legal challenge followed claims that Baba Jamal’s campaign had engaged in financial inducements during the primary. He has consistently denied the allegations throughout both the party’s internal review and the court proceedings.
Prior to the lawsuit, the NDC constituted a three-member committee to investigate the claims. After reviewing the matter, the party upheld the primary results, citing legal requirements, constitutional provisions and Electoral Commission nomination deadlines.
With the court’s dismissal of the case, attention now turns to the polls, as the Electoral Commission confirms it is prepared to conduct the by-election for Ayawaso East voters.
