The Tamale Central parliamentary by-election has taken a dramatic twist as the People’s National Convention (PNC) and the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG) have both withdrawn from the race, leaving the National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate, Professor Seidu Mahama Alidu, as the sole contender.
This comes after the New Patriotic Party (NPP) earlier announced that it would not field a candidate in the contest, which was triggered by the death of the sitting MP, Dr Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, in a helicopter crash on August 6, 2025.
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The Electoral Commission has confirmed receiving official withdrawal letters from the PNC and LPG through their general secretaries.
Prof. Alidu, a political scientist and lecturer at the University of Ghana, secured his party’s ticket after a fiercely contested primary last weekend. Out of 1,500 valid votes, he polled 840, defeating 11 other aspirants, including former Tamale Metropolitan Chief Executive Hanan Gundadow Abdul-Rahaman, who garnered 536 votes.
The outcome of the primary had already positioned Prof. Alidu as the clear favourite, given the NDC’s long dominance in the constituency. With no opposition in sight, his path to Parliament now appears automatic.
Prof. Alidu is a well-respected academic and public servant. He once headed the University of Ghana’s Political Science Department and currently serves as the Executive Secretary of the Water Resources Commission.
He has lectured at 12 universities across Africa and was a Donahue Institute Scholar on U.S. Political Thought at the University of Massachusetts in 2014.
Prof. Alidu has also consulted for global organisations, including UNDP, PASGR, IDS at Sussex University, and the Friedrich-Ebert Stiftung. His scholarly works have appeared in leading journals such as Peace Review, Ghana Studies, and Criminal Justice Studies.
The late MP, Dr Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, died alongside seven others in the August 6 crash, prompting the September 30, 2025, by-election. For many observers, the poll has now become a mere formality as Tamale Central prepares to welcome Prof. Alidu as its next representative in Parliament.