GhArticles.com Every News in Detail
Democracy Hub has filed a suit at the High Court seeking to halt the Ayawaso East by-election, citing alleged vote buying during the National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary primaries held on February 7, 2026.
The NDC has been named as the first defendant, the Electoral Commission (EC) as the second, and the Attorney-General as the third.
In its reliefs, Democracy Hub is asking the court to quash the EC’s recognition of Mr Jamal as the NDC candidate and to restrain the Commission from accepting or acting on his nomination until a fresh primary is conducted in accordance with democratic principles.
The group is seeking “an order of mandamus directed at the 2nd Defendant to refuse to accept or act upon the nomination of the said candidate unless and until a primary conducted in accordance with democratic principles is held.”
It is also requesting a declaration that the NDC primary was characterised by widespread vote buying, inducement and monetisation, and that relying on its outcome to present a candidate breaches Article 55(5) of the Constitution and Section 9 of the Political Parties Act, 2000 (Act 574).
According to the suit, the party’s continued reliance on the outcome of the disputed primary and the presentation of a candidate based on that process are actions inconsistent with constitutional and legal requirements.
The controversy centres on Baba Jamal, the NDC parliamentary candidate, who has been accused of engaging in vote buying during the primaries. He has consistently denied the allegations.
A three-member NDC committee investigated the claims and submitted a report that informed the party’s decision to uphold the primary results, citing legal requirements, constitutional provisions and nomination deadlines set by the EC.
The EC has scheduled the Ayawaso East by-election for March 3, 2026.
