By. Baffour Asare Yamoah
The decision by the President, John Dramani Mahama, to recall Ghana’s High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mohammed Baba Jamal Ahmed, over unproven vote-buying allegations arising from the Ayawaso East NDC parliamentary primary raises profound concerns about due process, proportionality, and the politicization of executive power.
Let us be clear from the outset: vote buying, inducement, and electoral malpractice, whether in national or internal party elections, are reprehensible and must be confronted decisively. However, a democracy governed by the rule of law does not punish on the basis of allegations. It investigates, establishes facts, and only then sanctions.
In this case, the President’s own statement acknowledges that these were allegations, not judicial findings, not conclusions of a statutory investigative body, and not determinations of any court of competent jurisdiction.
Baba Jamal has not been convicted, nor formally charged, nor found culpable by any independent institution. Yet, the most severe administrative sanction available, recall from diplomatic service, was imposed instantly.
This is where the danger lies.
Selective Morality Is Not Leadership
Multiple aspirants were accused of inducement during the Ayawaso East primary. Yet only one individual—who happens to be a public office holder—was singled out for punishment. This selective application of standards creates the impression of scapegoating rather than principled governance.
If allegations alone are sufficient grounds for recall, then consistency demands that all implicated persons, whether office holders or not, face proportionate consequences through defined processes. Anything less erodes public confidence and transforms discipline into discretion.
Party Processes Were Prematurely Bypassed
The NDC itself acknowledged the allegations and initiated internal investigations. In democratic party systems, internal primaries are first resolved through party disciplinary mechanisms. The executive arm of government should not rush to impose state sanctions before these processes are concluded.
By intervening prematurely, the Presidency risks:
Undermining party autonomy,
Politicizing administrative sanctions,
And setting a precedent where internal party disputes spill into executive punishment.
Diplomacy Must Not Become Collateral Damage
Diplomatic appointments are not ceremonial favors; they are strategic representations of Ghana’s sovereignty abroad. Recalls should be grounded in:
Diplomatic misconduct,
Performance failure,
Or national security considerations.
Using alleged campaign conduct still under dispute as the basis for diplomatic recall weakens institutional boundaries between party politics and state administration.
A Slippery Slope for Democratic Governance
Today it is Baba Jamal. Tomorrow, it could be any public servant accused rightly or wrongly during politically charged contests. When allegations become punishments, justice becomes arbitrary.
Ghana’s democracy has matured precisely because it respects due process. We must not abandon that principle for short-term political optics.
Condemning vote buying does not require abandoning the rule of law. Protecting public office does not require sacrificing fairness. Leadership is not demonstrated by swift punishment, but by just procedure.
Ghana must be careful not to normalize governance by allegation.
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About the authour:
Baffour Asare Yamoah is a former Parliamentary Aspirant, Bosome Freho (NPP).
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