The National Democratic Congress (NDC) will proceed with Mohammed Baba Jamal as its candidate for the upcoming Ayawaso East by-election, despite unresolved allegations of vote-buying in the party’s recent parliamentary primary.

The decision was announced by NDC General Secretary Fifi Kwetey following a meeting of the party’s Functional Executive Committee, which convened after receiving a report from a three-member investigative committee.

Addressing journalists, Mr Kwetey indicated that although "the committee's report was to the effect that, ideally, we should have an annulment of the primaries", some obstacles made that impossible.

"One, the party's constitution does not have a provision for an annulment of an election. Two, we are time-bound because we need to be presenting a candidate by tomorrow to the Electoral Commission. So, given these difficulties, and also there are legal challenges that could be mounted by whoever won, and the party clearly would not be able to go through any of that process without presenting a candidate very quickly," he said.

On the back of these, "we have no option but to present Baba Jamal, who actually won, according to the Electoral Commission declaration."

Fifi Kwetey added that a new, seven-member committee has been established to develop sweeping reforms aimed at tackling the issue of vote-buying in future party contests.

The original investigative committee had been tasked with examining claims that aspirants offered inducements, including television sets and cash, to delegates during the primary held on Saturday, February 7.

Mr Kwetey added that "inappropriate conduct was exhibited by virtually all the candidates" during the poll.