The Deputy Director of Elections for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mahdi Gibril, says the party demonstrated resilience and organisational strength in the just-ended Ayawaso East by-election, insisting its victory was not the result of incumbency advantage.

Speaking on JoyNews Desk on 4 March, Mr Gibril maintained that despite challenges confronting the party, it remained formidable throughout the contest.

“I have seen that the party has shown strength. If we were not strong, we would have lost the election,” he stated.

Responding to suggestions that the NDC benefited from being in government, Mr Gibril rejected the claim, describing the by-election as one conducted independently by the party’s internal structures.

“This is the first time in a by-election that the party ran the election on its own terms,” he said, explaining that party executives stationed at polling centres were merely discharging their legitimate responsibilities.

“They are party executives who still hold positions in the party. If the party machinery wants to win an election, we must push ourselves. You cannot always rely on being in government to win elections,” he stressed.

Mr Gibril cautioned against overreliance on governmental power as a strategy for electoral success, warning that such an approach could weaken party structures in the long term.

On the election of Baba Jamal as Member of Parliament-elect, Mr Gibril said the responsibility now rests squarely on him to justify the confidence reposed in him by the electorate.

He acknowledged concerns raised during the campaign that Mr Jamal had not previously served the Ayawaso area, adding that those doubts must now be addressed through tangible results.

“The constituency now depends on him. He must prove that he has truly come to serve,” Mr Gibril stated.

According to him, the best way to dispel scepticism and strengthen public trust is for the MP-elect to remain accessible, responsive and committed to delivering meaningful development.

“This is the time for him to work and demonstrate his commitment. If he serves the people well, they will stand firmly behind him,” he added.

Mr Gibril indicated that the party’s immediate focus is to consolidate its gains in the constituency and strengthen its grassroots presence.

Touching on development priorities, he emphasised the need to prioritise human resource development over solely physical infrastructure.

“It is about developing the human resources of the area. If you look at the statistics, many of the young people’s issues relate to training or travelling out of the country. The focus must be on building capacity and improving skills,” he explained.

He added that empowering the youth and investing in human development would be crucial to sustaining the party’s support in the constituency.