Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama has ordered the immediate recall of the country’s High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mohammed “Baba Jamal” Ahmed, following serious allegations of electoral malpractice. The directive, issued on Saturday, February 7, 2026, comes after reports surfaced linking the envoy to voter inducement during the National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary primaries for the Ayawaso East Constituency.
The recall stems from accusations that Ahmed, who was contesting in the primary while serving as a diplomat, distributed items such as television sets and food supplies to delegates in an attempt to influence the vote. While Ahmed has maintained that these were mere “gestures of goodwill,” the Ghanaian Presidency acted swiftly to preserve the integrity of public office. A statement from the presidency noted that Ahmed’s continued stay in his diplomatic post was “no longer tenable” under the government’s Code of Conduct for Political Appointees.
The NDC has already launched an internal investigation into the incident, though the government clarified that the recall is an administrative necessity regardless of the party’s final findings. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been instructed to initiate the formal diplomatic steps to replace the envoy in Abuja.
This rare and decisive governance move highlights Ghana’s rigid stance on public officer ethics. Although the recall centers on a domestic electoral dispute, the sudden departure of a high-ranking envoy to Nigeria, Ghana’s largest regional trading partner, requires careful diplomatic management to ensure that bilateral cooperation remains unaffected by the internal political scandal.
