Why recalled High commissioner to Nigeria Baba Jamal dey face assault and corruption charges for Ghana
Wia dis foto come from, GHANA FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTRY
Di office of special prosecutor for Ghana dey pursue former High Commissioner to Nigeria Baba Jamal ova allegations of vote-buying during di govment party parliamentary primaries.
E chop accuse say im and di oda candidates for di 7 February primaries of di national democratic congress (NDC) use motorbikes, TVs, food items and cash to buy votes from di delegates for Ayawaso East constituency.
Oga Baba Jamal wey until dat time be di High Commissioner to Nigeria decide to abandon im post for Abuja to pursue his parliamentary agenda.
E say e wan serve im constituents beta for parliament dat be why im comot di High Commission office.
Afta di primaries wey he win by 32 votes, President John Mahama recall am as di NDC open investigation into di allegation of vote-buying and inducement of voters.
"Even though all di five candidates engage for vote-buying during di primaries, Baba Jamal be di only serving public officer among dem," di govment statement explain.
Govment tok-tok pesin Felix Ofosu Kwakye add say "di president gatz to take serious action to preserve di integrity of public office to avoid di perception of impropriety or conflict wit di govment code of conduct for political appointees."
Di prosecutor office grant Baba Jamal self-recognisance bail
Afta hours of interrogation on Tuesday 11 February by di office of di special prosecutor, dem grant Baba Jamal bail.
End of Di one wey oda users dey read well well
Im lawyer Victor Adawudu confam say dem charge am wit abetment of assault and obstruction of justice.
Di prosecutor office also charge am wit corruption and corruption-related offences in di mata involving vote buying and inducement.
"Di OSP invite my client to answer questions about corruption on di day of di primaries, but di officer from di prosecutor office bin dey video Baba Jamal, na so his security team stop am, wey dem ask am to delete di video on top di phone," lawyer Victor Adawudu explain.
E add say "as we visit di prosecutor office, dem say dem dey investigate my client for assault on authorized officer, obstruction of public officer and corruption during di primaries."
"Baba Jamal deny di allegations of assault, if somebody assault am, e no see am, wey e neva obstruct di officer wey e also tok say e no dey aware say anybody from im camp bin dey share TVs during di primaries."
Afta dem write dia statement, di prosecutor office grant am self-recognisance bail wey dem seize his phone.
"We make ready to cooperate wit di prosecutor office wey we tok dem say we neva get anytin to hide."
Wia dis foto come from, BABA JAMALA/FACEBOOK
NDC clear Baba Jamal to contest di Ayawaso East by-election despite vote-buying allegations
Afta di NDC select three-member committee to investigate di allegations against di former High Commissioner, dem clear am say he fit contest di by-election for 3 March 2026.
Many pipo including di govment majority lawmakers for parliament ask di NDC to cancel di primaries sake of di vote-buying allegations.
But even though di committee confam say Baba Jamal and di oda candidates offer materials, foodstuff and cash to delegates to vote, dem give am di greenlight to contest.
Tok-tok pesin for di NDC Fiifi Kwetey explain to journalists say di party gatz no choice but to present oga Jamal for di by-elections.
"Di committee no fit cancel di 7 February primaries sake of di party constitution no get any provision wey dey allow cancelation of primaries."
Im also tok say di party get short time between now and di by-election date (3 March), sake of di party gatz to submit dia candidate for dat election.
Dis be some of di tins di committee find
- Vote- buying happun among almost all di five candidates but Baba Jamal en case plenty sake of im grant media interviews wey videos of di sharing of di items full di internet.
- To share motorbike, TVs and oda tins on election day be act of inducement
- Di committee believe say di integrity of di primaries go high if dem cancel di elections but dis get legal and political implications – only di electoral commission gat di power to annul elections
- Any decision go affect di delegates and party members wey sacrifice dia time to vote and di aspirants wey spend dia resources for dis election, so di final decision gatz to unite di party, no be to scata di party and im followers.
Many pipo including experts say wetin di NDC do be waste of time for dis mata. Anti-corruption pipo say if dem no take any action for dis mata, all aspirants for any future election go continue to buy votes and induce voters.
E neva dey clear at dis time if di president go appoint new pesin to replace Baba Jamal for di Ghana High Commission for Abuja.
But oga Baba Jamal go continue to campaign ahead of di by-election wey go happun on 3 March 2026.
E go face di candidate from di opposition new patriotic party (NPP) Baba Ali Yussif and oda independent candidates – di winner go replace di lawmaker for Ayawaso East constituency Mahama Naser Toure, wey die on 4 January 2026 afta short sickness.
Im widow Amina Adams try to contest di NDC primaries to replace her late husband for parliament but she lose to Baba Jamal by 32 votes.
