Ayawaso East NDC executives push back against majority caucus over primary dispute
Tensions are brewing within Ghana’s political landscape as the Ayawaso East Constituency executives of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) have strongly rebuked the Majority Caucus in Parliament for questioning the legitimacy of their recent parliamentary primary.
The Majority Caucus, led by Mahama Ayariga, had issued a statement alleging vote buying during the contest that saw former Ghana High Commissioner to Nigeria, Baba Jamal, emerge victorious. The caucus argued that the outcome undermined the party’s broader mission to “reset Ghana’s politics and restore integrity to the democratic process.”
But Ayawaso East NDC executives have dismissed those claims outright. Speaking to Channel One News on Monday, February 9, the constituency’s Communications Officer, Musah Ali, accused the Majority of meddling in affairs beyond their jurisdiction. “The communiqué by the Majority is moot, in the sense that none of them was there. I challenge any parliamentarian to come to us and tell us that he or she was on the ground and that this is what they observed. None of them was here, yet they want to make a decision for us and impose a candidate on us,” he said.
Ali went further, describing the call to annul the election as an affront to the constituency’s integrity. “The call to annul the election is an insult to our integrity and that of the constituency executives. They must come with proof that the candidates indeed bought our consciences before we went to vote. They must mind their business; we won’t allow them to throw dust into the eyes of our people. They should focus on their constituencies,” he added.
The Communications Officer also expressed frustration with the party’s national leadership for initiating a probe into the primary without first consulting the local executive committee. “No one has come to us to complain that something went wrong in the election. So everything we are hearing is hearsay. The fact of the matter is that there was a clean election, and we managed to secure a candidate. As of now, the constituency is united behind the candidate until the party says otherwise,” Ali stated.
The controversy highlights ongoing tensions between grassroots party structures and national leadership, as well as the scrutiny surrounding internal party elections. For Ayawaso East, however, executives insist the matter is settled, their candidate has been chosen, and they expect the rest of the party to respect that decision.
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