The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has criticised Mohammed Umar Sanda, a former party stalwart now contesting the Ayawaso East by-election as an independent candidate.

With the polls scheduled for Tuesday, 3rd March 2026, the party hierarchy has dismissed Sanda’s rebellion as a political suicide mission, insisting his influence has evaporated following his "automatic" expulsion from the party.

Speaking on Citi FM on Friday, 27th February 2026, the NDC’s Greater Accra Regional Organiser, Anthony Nukpenu, revealed that the party had previously attempted to de-escalate the situation through internal counselling, but Sanda had ultimately "shot himself in the foot".

Nukpenu did not mince words regarding the independent candidate’s electoral prospects. Despite Sanda’s previous standing within the local structure, the Regional Organiser predicted that the rebel candidate would fail to secure even a 2 per cent share of the total voter turnout.

Instead, the NDC is doubling down on its endorsed candidate, Mohammed Baba Jamal Ahmed, with a targeted victory margin of at least 75 per cent.

“Umar Sanda is not a threat. All we were trying to do was to talk to our brother—you must have ambition, but don’t be overambitious. Now that he has chosen this route, he has lost his heritage,” Nukpenu declared.

Sanda’s transition from a party loyalist to an independent challenger has come with immediate and severe professional consequences. Following his formal declaration to contest against the NDC’s chosen representative, the party’s General Secretary, Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, issued a directive on 17th February 2026, officially revoking Sanda’s membership.

Under the NDC’s strict internal regulations, the act of running against an endorsed candidate results in the automatic nullification of membership. Furthermore, the party has issued a legal warning prohibiting Sanda from leveraging the NDC’s "intellectual property", including:

The NDC leadership has also sent a clear message to its rank and file: any executive or member found providing logistical or moral support to Sanda’s "rebel" campaign will face immediate disciplinary action.

This internal crackdown is designed to present a unified front as the by-election enters its final 72 hours.

While Sanda attempts to frame his candidacy as a grassroots alternative, the NDC is positioning the vote as a test of loyalty to the party's heritage and its national agenda, as outlined by President John Dramani Mahama in his recent State of the Nation Address.

As the people of Ayawaso East prepare to head to the polls this Tuesday, the atmosphere remains charged. The NDC’s strategy of total isolation for Sanda aims to ensure that the seat remains firmly within the party’s grasp, maintaining its legislative strength.