The National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary candidate, Baba Jamal, has emerged victorious in the Ayawaso East by-election held on Tuesday, March 3, 2026, securing the parliamentary seat for his party.
The by-election was conducted to fill the vacancy created after the death of the constituency’s Member of Parliament, Mahama Naser Toure, in January.
Baba Jamal defeated his main contender, Baba Ali of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), as well as independent candidate Umaru Sanda Muhammed.
Baba Jamal polled 10,884 votes; while NPP’s Yusif Ali Baba obtained 4,009 votes; Ibrahim Idrissu secured 43 votes; Independent Candidate Mohammed Umar Sanda garnered 1,885 votes; and Kanor David received 104 votes.
A total of 16,928 valid votes were cast, with 120 rejected ballots, bringing the total votes cast to 17,048.
The outcome of the election largely reflects projections made ahead of the polls by research firm Global InfoAnalytics, which had placed the NDC candidate significantly ahead after surveying voters across the constituency.
According to the pre-election poll conducted between February 28 and March 1, Baba Jamal was projected to secure about 75 percent of the vote, with Baba Ali trailing behind. Independent candidate Umar Sanda Muhammed was projected to obtain a smaller share, while Ibrahim Iddrisu and David were expected to secure marginal votes.
The victory strengthens the NDC’s hold in the constituency and marks Baba Jamal’s return to Parliament after previously serving as the MP for Akwatia and in a diplomatic role as Ghana’s former High Commissioner to Nigeria.
Voter turnout across several polling centres was very low and peaceful, with electoral officials and security personnel overseeing the process to ensure order throughout the exercise.
Baba Jamal is expected to be sworn into Parliament in the coming days to represent the people of Ayawaso East and continue the legislative work left behind by the late Mahama Naser Toure.
