Ashie Moore admits defeat in war against vote buying

The Greater Accra Regional Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Emmanuel Nii Ashie Moore, has made a startling admission regarding the party’s inability to police financial influence during internal polls.

Speaking on the sidelines of the chaotic Ayawaso East parliamentary primary on Saturday, 7th February 2026, Ashie Moore described the task of monitoring or preventing vote buying as an “extremely difficult” endeavour that currently eludes the grasp of party leadership.

Despite a heightened security presence and the implementation of standards for transparency, the Chairman argued that the evolution of financial technology has rendered traditional monitoring obsolete.

With more than 1,000 delegates participating in the Ayawaso East vote alone, he suggested that the scale of the electorate provides a convenient shroud for illicit transactions.

“For vote buying, how can you monitor it? How can you control it? There are over 1,000 delegates here. As a Regional Chairman, National Chairman or General Secretary, what can you do? Do you know what the aspirant is doing in his bedroom?” Ashie Moore questioned.

Mr Ashie Moore highlighted that the transition from physical cash envelopes to digital platforms like Mobile Money (MoMo) and instant bank transfers has created a ghost economy within political primaries.

While he maintained that he had not personally witnessed any transactions, he acknowledged that the phenomenon has become a systemic challenge for the entire Ghanaian political landscape.

“Today MOMO is available and so is bank transfer. It is everywhere. It is very difficult to look at but I haven’t seen it; it is just hearsay. However, I think all the political parties should work on it,” he added.

Eggs, TVs, and “Benevolence”: The Baba Jamal controversy

Mr Ashie Moore’s earlier comment is amidst a brewing probe by the NDC national executives and a recall of Mohammed Baba Jamal Ahmed, Ghana’s High Commissioner to Nigeria, by President John Dramani Mahama.

Baba Jamal won the primary with 431 votes to secure 45%, with his closest contender, Hajia Amina Adam, securing 399 votes (41%) in a contest marred by vote-buying allegations.

According to the Presidency, while allegations of vote-buying were made against multiple contestants, Baba Jamal was the only serving public officer among those who participated in the primary, making his situation distinct.

“The President noted that, while the allegations of vote-buying were made against multiple candidates who contested the primaries, Baba Jamal was the only serving public officer among them,” a statement released by Spokesperson to the President, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, said.

The release also acknowledged a public statement by the NDC’s General Secretary, indicating that the party had commenced its own internal investigations into the allegations arising from the polls.

The campaign team of Baba Jamal had offered 32-inch televisions to delegates who participated in the primary in the Ayawaso East Constituency.

The team also distributed boiled eggs to delegates, a move that triggered brief jostling among some voters who attempted to access the food items.

Speaking to the media during the elections, Baba Jamal confirmed the distribution of the goodies but insisted that the gesture was not intended to influence voting decisions.

“So if you give television sets to people, what is wrong with it when you give things to people?” he asked. “Is this the first time I am giving things to people?”

He explained that his actions were consistent with his long-standing personal practice of supporting people financially and materially, stressing that generosity had always been part of his public life.

“Those of you who know me know that every Christmas, every occasion, every instance, I have put down GHS 2.5 million in free loans to give free loans to people,” he said. “So if today people are coming to vote and we are giving them something—what is wrong with that?”

Baba Jamal argued that the ethical issue was not the act of giving itself, but whether such gifts were allowed to influence voters’ choices.

• READ ALSO: Ayawaso East NDC Primary: Baba Jamal campaign distributes TV sets, food to delegates

“If somebody gives you a gift, you can take it,” he stated. “But allowing that gift to influence your vote is what is wrong. It is not the gift; it is allowing that gift to influence your vote that makes it wrong.”

He further justified the gesture as part of basic hospitality, noting that it would be unreasonable to gather delegates for an important political exercise without providing some form of support.

“You think you can bring all these people together and not give them water?” he asked. “It is not the item; it is the intention.”

The aspirant maintained that his campaign had focused primarily on engagement and dialogue rather than inducements, adding that he had interacted extensively with party members and delegates ahead of the primary.

“I don’t think that I have gone wrong,” he said. “I have spoken to them and met people. That is why I am still saying that I hope and trust that they will still reason with me and come along with me.”