The Functional Executive Committee (FEC) of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has rejected a request by Hajia Amina Adam, widow of the late Ayawaso East Member of Parliament, Mahama Naser Toure, to undergo virtual vetting ahead of the party’s parliamentary primaries.
Representatives of Hajia Amina submitted the request on Tuesday, January 27, citing her mourning period and the need to observe Islamic widowhood rites as the basis for seeking an online vetting.
However, the party’s leadership maintained that all aspirants must appear physically before the vetting committee.
Speaking on TV3’s Ghana Tonight, the NDC’s Deputy Director of Elections, Rashid Tanko Computer, confirmed that the request was considered but declined, stressing that the party’s position on virtual vetting has remained consistent.
He explained that such arrangements are only considered for candidates who are outside the country and face extreme difficulty returning to Ghana.
“All candidates who are in the country are denied such privilege. We have never done it before,” he said, adding that the party was unwilling to create a precedent that could be relied upon by future aspirants.
The decision comes amid heightened political activity within the party following the death of the sitting Member of Parliament for Ayawaso East on January 4, 2026, after a brief illness.
The vacant seat has since attracted several aspirants ahead of the party’s primaries, scheduled for February 7, 2026.
As the contest intensifies, comments from the camp of one of the aspirants, Ghana’s High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mohammed Baba Jamal, have added to the growing debate surrounding the race.
In an interview on Citi News, Baba Alhaji Khalid, a Special Aide to the former deputy minister, questioned Hajia Amina Adam’s decision to contest the seat so soon after her husband’s passing, citing Islamic tradition.
He noted that widows are expected to observe a period of seclusion, known as Iddah, for at least four months and ten days after the death of their spouses.
“Unfortunately, in the Islamic community, such sympathy does not carry any weight because Qur’an 2:234 is very clear on what a married woman must do after losing her husband,” he said.
“If she decides to ignore that obligation just to come and contest, in a typical Muslim community, they will be waiting.”
He further argued that any attempt to rely on public sympathy in the lead-up to the primaries may not resonate with voters within the constituency, where religious considerations remain influential.
Meanwhile, Parliament has formally declared the Ayawaso East seat vacant, clearing the way for the Electoral Commission to fix Tuesday, March 3, 2026, for a parliamentary by-election in accordance with constitutional provisions.
Vetting of the five aspirants is scheduled for Wednesday, January 28, 2026.
