Pressure mounts on Ghana’s Ambassador to Nigeria Baba Jamal to step down ahead of Ayawaso East by-election bid

Pressure is mounting on Baba Jamal Mohammed Ahmed, Ghana’s Ambassador to Nigeria, to resign from his diplomatic post before contesting the National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary primary for the Ayawaso East by-election scheduled for March 3, 2026.

Party insiders and governance observers say holding a high-ranking diplomatic position while actively seeking to become a Member of Parliament risks raising conflict-of-interest concerns, undermining diplomatic neutrality and distracting from Ghana’s bilateral engagements with Nigeria.

Mr Jamal is among six aspirants who have picked nomination forms to contest the NDC primary to replace the late Ayawaso East MP, Mahama Naser Toure.

The others include Hajia Amina Adam, widow of the late MP, as well as Yakubu Azindow, Mohammed Ramne, Mohammed Abdul Salam and Najib Mohammed Sani.

The NDC Greater Accra Regional Secretary, Theophilus Tetteh Chaie, has said aspirants will submit their forms by January 27, 2026, ahead of vetting, balloting and appeals on January 28, with the primary scheduled for February 7.

However, calls for Mr Jamal to step aside from his ambassadorial role have intensified as the primary draws closer.

Political analysts argue that serving ambassadors are expected to maintain strict political neutrality, focus exclusively on representing the state abroad and avoid actions that could blur the lines between public office and partisan ambition.

Diplomatic appointments in Ghana are made by the President under Article 74 of the Constitution, and ambassadors are generally regarded as full-time representatives of the state.

Analysts note that active involvement in domestic electoral contests while holding such office could set an awkward precedent, particularly at a time when Ghana–Nigeria relations span trade, security cooperation and regional diplomacy within ECOWAS.

Within the NDC, some party figures are also said to be concerned about the optics of fairness in the primary, arguing that remaining in office could give an impression—real or perceived—of access to state resources, influence or exposure unavailable to other aspirants.

Ayawaso East, Nima, has long been an NDC stronghold.

In the 2024 parliamentary elections, the late Mr Toure won convincingly with 22,139 votes, representing 70.85 per cent, against the New Patriotic Party’s Zak Rahman, who polled 9,110 votes.

The NPP has confirmed its intention to contest the by-election, while the Liberal Party of Ghana has also expressed interest in fielding a candidate.

Although Mr Jamal has not publicly indicated whether he intends to resign before the primary, pressure is expected to grow in the coming days as the campaign season intensifies and scrutiny over ethical and constitutional expectations sharpens.