|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
CLAIM: A Facebook user named “Nation watcher” claimed that NDC General Secretary Fifi Kwetey said Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga should “step aside” from probing the Ayawaso East primary because he is “not fit,” describing this as “clear political bias” and “internal intolerance.”
VERDICT: False! Fifi Kwetey never said Mahama Ayariga is “not fit” or should “step aside.” Ayariga voluntarily withdrew from the committee investigating vote-buying in the Ayawaso East primary after the Majority Caucus called for the election’s cancellation, making his position “untenable.” Kwetey simply announced the replacement.
Full Text
A Facebook post by “Nation watcher” has circulated claims (archived here) about NDC General Secretary Fifi Kwetey allegedly calling Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga “not fit” in connection with the investigation into vote-buying allegations during the Ayawaso East parliamentary primary.
DUBAWA Ghana investigated these claims to establish the facts.
On February 7, 2026, the NDC held parliamentary primaries in the Ayawaso East constituency, which were marred by widespread allegations of vote-buying and inducement. Reports emerged that some aspirants distributed 32-inch televisions and boiled eggs to delegates to influence their votes. Baba Jamal Mohammed Ahmed, Ghana’s High Commissioner to Nigeria, won the primary with 431 votes.
That same day, the NDC constituted a three-member committee to investigate the allegations. The committee was chaired by former Minister of Information, Kofi Totobi Quakyi, with the Majority Leader, Mahama Ayariga, and lawyer Emefa Fugah as members.
The committee was given until Tuesday, February 10, 2026, to submit its findings.
Did Fifi Kwetey say Ayariga is “not fit”?
No. This claim is entirely false. On February 8, 2026, Mahama Ayariga himself voluntarily withdrew from the committee on X. In a post on his social media, Ayariga stated:
“In view of the position taken by the Caucus of the NDC in Parliament regarding cancellation of the Ayawaso East primary, it has become untenable for me to serve on the Investigation Committee set up by the National Executive of the NDC. I have therefore notified the party that a suitable replacement should be appointed.”
A screenshot of Ayariga announcing his step down from the committee on X
The Majority Caucus in Parliament had publicly called for the immediate cancellation of the primary and disqualification of candidates found to have engaged in vote-buying.
As the leader of that caucus, Ayariga recognised that his continued service on an investigative committee would create a conflict of interest, given that his caucus had already taken a public position on the outcome.
Following Ayariga’s withdrawal, Fifi Kwetey announced the appointment of former MP and Minister Inusah Fuseini as his replacement.
According to Kwetey’s statement on February 8, 2026:
“The NDC has appointed former MP and Minister, Hon Inusah Fuseini, to replace Hon Mahama Ayariga on the committee investigating the reported vote-buying incidents in the Ayawaso East Primaries. Hon Ayariga had to step down because his position on the committee became untenable following the declared position of the Majority Caucus. The party remains committed to upholding the highest integrity in its internal electoral process.”
Kwetey’s statement clearly indicates that Ayariga “had to step down” because his position became “untenable” due to the Majority Caucus’s public stance, not because Kwetey deemed him “not fit.” The replacement was aimed at “safeguarding the fairness and credibility of the committee’s work,” according to a report by GBC Ghana Online.
At no point did Kwetey use the words “not fit” or call for Ayariga to “step aside.”
The decision was Ayariga’s own. Meanwhile, efforts to obtain supporting evidence to verify the claims were unsuccessful, as no documentation or material was made available at the time of filing this report.
Conclusion
The claim that Fifi Kwetey called Mahama Ayariga “not fit” and asked him to “step aside” is FALSE. Ayariga voluntarily withdrew from the Ayawaso East investigative committee due to a conflict of interest, following his Majority Caucus’s public call for the cancellation of the primary.
Kwetey’s statement simply announced the replacement and explained that Ayariga’s position had become “untenable” due to the caucus’s stance, not because of any assessment of Ayariga’s fitness. The characterisation of this as “clear political bias” and “internal intolerance” is inaccurate.
The replacement was a procedural necessity to maintain the credibility and impartiality of the investigation, following Ayariga’s own recognition of the conflict of interest.
