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Baba Jamal sworn in as MP for Ayawaso Ekast, pledges service with dignity and integrity
Baba Jamal has officially been sworn in as the Member of Parliament for the Ayawaso East Constituency by the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin.
The swearing in ceremony took place in Parliament on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, with members of the House welcoming him as he took the oath of office and oath of allegiance to officially assume his role as a legislator.
His swearing in was met with loud cheers from sections of his constituents and loyal supporters who gathered in Parliament to witness the ceremony.
Speaking to the media after the swearing in ceremony, Baba Jamal expressed gratitude to Allah for guiding him through what he described as a very difficult political journey.
He explained that the path to Parliament had been challenging but he was grateful to everyone who stood by him during the process, including the Speaker of Parliament and members on both sides of the House who welcomed him warmly.
The new MP thanked the leadership of the National Democratic Congress, particularly the National Chairman, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, for supporting him and taking time to attend the ceremony.
Baba Jamal further expressed appreciation to traditional leaders and chiefs from Ayawaso East who came to witness the occasion, stating that he would work closely with them to deliver improved services and development to the people in the constituency.
He acknowledged the support of the media, his legal advisors and well wishers who assisted him throughout the journey, noting that their encouragement played an important role in his success.
The MP expressed special gratitude to his wife and family for standing by him during what he described as a very difficult and stressful period, adding that he hoped such difficult moments would not repeat themselves as he now focuses on serving his constituents.
When asked what the public should expect from him in Parliament, Baba Jamal indicated that his service would be guided by dignity and integrity.
He explained that he was determined to prove critics wrong about issues that had been raised about him, stressing that he had done nothing wrong and had been cleared by a committee that looked into the matter.
According to him, his victory in the by election showed the confidence and trust the people of Ayawaso East had in him, a mandate he said would encourage him to continue serving the constituency and the country with dedication.
Many of them expressed excitement over his return to Parliament and his new mandate to represent the people of Ayawaso East.
With his induction into the House, Baba Jamal adds to the numbers of the National Democratic Congress in Parliament, increasing the party’s representation to 183 MPs and strengthening the majority side in the House.
Baba Jamal secured victory during the Ayawaso East by election held on March 3, 2026, after polling 10,884 votes to win the parliamentary seat convincingly.
His closest contender, Baba Ali Yusif of the New Patriotic Party, obtained 4,009 votes.
Independent candidate Mohammed Umar Sanda garnered 1,885 votes, while Ibrahim Iddrisu of the Liberal Party of Ghana secured 43 votes and David Kanor, also an independent candidate, polled 104 votes.
In total, 17,048 ballots were cast in the election, out of which 16,928 were valid votes and 120 were rejected ballots. The constituency has close to 50,000 registered voters.
The by election was conducted to fill the vacancy created by the death of the sitting Member of Parliament for the area, Mahama Naser Toure, who passed away in January 2026 while receiving treatment at the hospital.
His death left the Ayawaso East parliamentary seat vacant, prompting the Electoral Commission of Ghana to organise the by election for a new representative to complete the remainder of the parliamentary term.
Before contesting the seat, Baba Jamal served as Ghana’s High Commissioner to Nigeria.
He previously held other political positions, including serving as the Member of Parliament for Akwatia and also worked in diplomatic service representing Ghana abroad.
His victory in the by election marks his return to Parliament and places him in charge of continuing the legislative and development work for the people of Ayawaso East.
Ghana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has engaged South Africa’ International Relations Minister over xenophobic attacks on Ghanaians.
In a revelation on Facebook, he posted “I have this morning held a telephone conversation with my South African counterpart, His Excellency Ronald Lamola, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation. I called him on the trending videos about Ghanaians coming under extremely disturbing xenophobic attacks in South Africa.”
According to him, ” The South African Foreign Minister has expressed his empathy with the victims and promised full scale investigations into the depressing incidents.”
“The Government of South Africa is set to hold a briefing with African Ambassadors later today,” he added.
Okudzeto Ablakwa also confirmed that since yesterday, he had been in constant contact with Ghana’s High Commissioner in South Africa, His Excellency Benjamin Quarshie, coordinating the country’s response.
“I am gladdened that so far colleagues in our diplomatic mission have located the main victim in the viral video and are offering consular assistance. He is doing very well,” he added
The Minister revealed that “No Ghanaian life has been lost. We urge calm and confidence in our collective capacity to protect Ghanaians.”
He further noted that the Mahama Administration remains uncompromising about the welfare and safety of Ghanaians both home and abroad.
“We are determined to guarantee the protection of all citizens,” he added.
“May these regrettable incidents never quench our Pan-African love and solidarity for each other. The overwhelming majority of Africans are united and share an unbreakable bond — we shall not be divided by the hatred of a few fringe elements,” Okudzeto Ablakwa concluded .
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
The Odumase-Krobo District Command on Monday, April 20, 2026, arrested a female suspect in connection with the abduction of a nine (9) year old girl at Agormanya Zongo in the Odumase-Krobo district.
On Sunday, April 19, 2026, the Odumase-Krobo district Command received a complaint from victim’s father that his daughter left home and had since not returned.
Following investigations and intelligence, officers from the Odumase-Krobo district with the assistance of BNI personnel at the Accra International Airport arrested suspect Regina Mamle Tawiah, aged 36, and rescued the victim at the Accra International Airport.
Preliminary investigations revealed that suspect was trying to send the victim to Kenya.
Meanwhile, the victim has been reunited with her father.
The suspect, Regina Mamle Tawiah who was arraigned before the Odumase-Krobo circuit court yesterday, April 21, 2026.
She pleaded not guilty and has been remanded into police custody to reappear on May 5, 2026 for case management conference.
The Eastern Regional Police Command has entreated the general public to remain vigilant at all times and promptly report any suspicious persons or behaviour to the police.
