Baba Alhaji Nuhu Khalid, Campaign Manager for the National Democratic Congress’ (NDC) parliamentary candidate for Ayawaso East, Baba Jamal, has described as “hurtful” the stance taken by some members of the party’s Majority Caucus in Parliament over allegations of vote buying.

Speaking on Channel One News on Sunday, March 1, Mr Khalid expressed concern over calls by some NDC MPs for the cancellation of the Ayawaso East parliamentary primary and the disqualification of candidates implicated in alleged inducement.

He insisted that Baba Jamal enjoys a cordial relationship with members of the NDC in Parliament and did not deserve what he described as unfair treatment.

“Baba Jamal’s relationship with the NDC in Parliament is cordial. They have a very cordial relationship. Baba Jamal didn’t deserve what they did to him because some of them came to Parliament through by-elections, and Baba Jamal has been a pillar in any by-election that the NDC organised,” he stated.

The remarks come after the NDC Majority Caucus publicly called for the immediate cancellation of the primary in the Ayawaso East Constituency amid claims of vote buying.

However, a committee constituted by the NDC to investigate the allegations subsequently cleared Baba Jamal, paving the way for him to contest the by-election scheduled for Tuesday, March 3.

Mr Khalid argued that the posture adopted by some MPs created the impression that they were beyond reproach in internal  political contests — a position he characterised as hypocritical.

“Especially when it comes to our internal elections, both the NDC and the NPP, we all have these things that we need to address. Instead of sounding like you are the saint, can any Member of Parliament admit that he has never given anything before he came to Parliament? That hypocritical stand they took was very hurtful because we knew the relationship he had with them,” he added.

Despite the controversy, Baba Jamal remains firmly in the race, with his campaign team expressing confidence following the party’s decision to clear him of wrongdoing.

Meanwhile, a new poll by Global InfoAnalytics has projected victory for Baba Jamal, in the upcoming Ayawaso East by-election slated for Tuesday, March 3, 2026.

The survey, conducted between February 28 and March 1, sampled 972 voters across the constituency and placed Baba Jamal in a clear lead, ahead of his main contender, Baba Ali of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).