The campaign team of Ghana’s High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mohammed Baba Jamal, has taken issue with the decision by Hajia Amina Adam, wife of the late Member of Parliament for Ayawaso East, to contest the seat after her husband’s demise.
The Ayawaso East parliamentary seat became vacant after the death of the sitting MP, Mahama Naser Toure, on 4th January 2026, following a brief illness.
In an interview on Citi News, Baba Alhaji Khalid, a Special Aide to Baba Jamal (one of the aspirants), cited Islamic tradition, noting that widows are expected to observe a period of seclusion, known as Iddah, for at least four months after the death of their spouses.
“Unfortunately, in the Islamic Community, such sympathy does not carry any weight because Qu’ran 2:234 is so clear on what a married woman does after she loses her husband. If she decides to ignore that obligation on her just to come and contest, in a typical Muslim community, they will be waiting.
“We had been preparing ourselves to beat the man himself. It is rather unfortunate that Allah was also doing his own preparation, which is always the best. So, the woman is not a match at all,” he said.
According to the team, any effort by Hajia Amina Adam to capitalise on public sympathy in the lead-up to the primary would not resonate with voters within the constituency.
He argued that religious teachings clearly outline the obligations of a widow after bereavement, suggesting that disregarding such practices for political ambition could attract public scrutiny within the Muslim community.
Subsequently, Parliament officially declared the seat vacant, enabling the Electoral Commission (EC) to fix Tuesday, 3 March 2026, for a parliamentary by-election, in accordance with constitutional provisions.
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