Ayawaso East NDC Primary: Baba Jamal defends distribution of TV sets, food items

Baba Jamal Mohammed Ahmed, Ghana’s High Commissioner to Nigeria and an aspirant in the Ayawaso East National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary primary, has defended the distribution of television sets and food items to delegates, insisting the gesture was not intended to influence voting.

“So if you give television sets to people, what is wrong, when you give things to people? This is the first time I'm giving things to people. Every Christmas, every occasion, and every Easter, I put down GH¢2.5 million to give free loans to people. So if today people are coming to vote and you are giving them something, it's not buying votes.

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“If someone gives you a gift, you can accept it. What is wrong is allowing that gift to influence your vote,” Jamal said in an interview on Channel One TV on Saturday, February 7, 2026.

He explained that intention mattered more than the items themselves.

“It is not the item but the intention behind it. I do not believe I have done anything wrong,” he added.

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Jamal further noted that supporting people financially and materially was not new to him, saying he regularly sets aside funds to provide interest-free loans during festive seasons and other occasions.

According to reports, delegates at the primary received 32-inch television sets and boiled eggs from Jamal’s campaign team.

The NDC is holding the primary to select a parliamentary candidate for the Ayawaso East by-election after a successful vetting process cleared five aspirants; Mohammed Ramme, the constituency chairman; Amina Adam, widow of the late Member of Parliament; Baba Jamal Mohammed Ahmed; Yakubu Azindow; and Najib Mohammed.

See the video below:

“Sharing the TVs is only a gift and not meant to influence votes,” — Baba Jamal, confirming distribution of television sets to delegates during the Ayawaso East NDC parliamentary primary.#ChannelOneNews #AyawasoEast #NDCPrimary #BabaJamal #GhanaPolitics pic.twitter.com/5XuZDDHqs4

— ChannelOne TV (@Channel1TVGHA) February 7, 2026