The aspirants include *Mohammed Ramme, the NDC Constituency Chairman, **Baba Jamal, Ghana’s High Commissioner to Nigeria, **Dr Yakubu Azindow, **Hajia Amina Adam, widow of the late Member of Parliament **Mahama Naser Toure, **Abdul Salaam Mohammed Daaru, a youth leader within the party, and *Najib Mohammed Sani.
The development was confirmed by the NDC’s *Deputy Director of Elections and IT, *Rashid Tanko, in an interview on Monday.
“At the close of nominations today, six persons picked nomination forms to contest the upcoming primaries. The wife of the late MP was the last person to pick nominations today. It is going to be a very interesting contest,” he said, adding that the filing of nomination forms would take place on *Tuesday, 27 January, followed by vetting on *28 January.
The parliamentary primary is being organised to elect a candidate to replace *Mahama Naser Toure, who died on *4 January 2026 after a short illness.
The entry of *Mohammed Ramme, popularly known as *Alabi, has added a new dimension to the contest. As the constituency chairman, he has played a central role in organising the party at the local level and has previously been associated with campaign coordination within the constituency.
Political observers note that his decision to contest introduces a significant shift in the dynamics of the race, particularly as he had been closely involved in party mobilisation efforts following the death of the sitting MP.
Meanwhile, *Hajia Amina Adam, one of the early aspirants, is currently observing *idda, the Islamic mourning period required of widows, which limits her public engagements during this period. In earlier statements, she has indicated that all campaign-related activities would be conducted in a manner consistent with Islamic teachings.
The growing list of aspirants reflects heightened political interest in Ayawaso East, a constituency widely regarded as a stronghold of the NDC, where the party has traditionally enjoyed strong electoral support.
The Electoral Commission has scheduled the by-election for Tuesday, 3 March 2026, following the vacancy created by the death of the sitting MP. The outcome of the NDC primary is expected to play a decisive role in determining the next parliamentary representative for the constituency.
