Baba Jamal’s First Day In Parliament …A picture is worth a thousand words

The Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Bagbin, on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, swore in Mohammed Baba Jamal Ahmed as the Member of Parliament for Ayawaso East, while simultaneously triggering a legislative push to criminalize misconduct in political primaries.

Moments after Mr. Baba Jamal took the Oaths of Allegiance and Office during the somewhat brief ceremony a rather interesting picture of him in the Chamber went viral on social media. He was captured on camera slummed in his chair, his head flung backwards, with his eyes completely shut. The picture sparked speculations that Baba Jamal was dozing in the Chamber on the very first day he reported for work as a Member of Parliament.

While many, concluded Baba Jamal was caught on camera sleeping, others interpreted the picture to mean he was rather praying and some said he could have been meditating or lost in some deep thoughts and had to close his eyes so his thoughts do not get distracted. The picture was certainly one interesting shot worth a thousand words and a thousand interpretations.

As at time of going to press, Baba Jamal was yet to comment on the said photograph of his though it had raised eyebrows and become a subject of discussions.

Speaker Bagbin had a welcome remark for Baba Jamal:

“You voluntarily offered yourself to serve the good people of the Ayawaso East Constituency. In your campaign you stated that you want to serve them as a Member of Parliament and by doing so serve Ghana; you do not want to serve Ghana as a High Commissioner in Nigeria.”

Bagbin continued: “I took note of those statements and I am going to hold you as my son. He knows what I mean by saying that. It is not the word ‘son’ I have been using on all of you, this one is different and he knows the import of that. I would hold you accountable to the good people of Ayawaso East constituency, serving them, you must and so I would focus on you on this Floor to see how you perform in serving them. If you don’t, I can assure you I would be there to campaign against you in the next election.”

A Controversial Path to the Chamber

Baba Jamal’s entry to Parliament follows the March 3, 2026 by-election necessitated by the passing of the long-serving MP, Naser Toure Mahama, in January.

Mr. Jamal’s journey back to Parliament was fraught with administrative and legal hurdles. Formerly the MP for Akwatia (2013–2017), he resigned his post as Ghana’s High Commissioner to Nigeria to contest the NDC primary.

His campaign faced intense scrutiny after allegations surfaced regarding the distribution of 32-inch television sets to delegates. While the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) opened investigations and President John Dramani Mahama recalled him from his diplomatic post citing public service standards, Mr. Jamal maintained the items were “gifts.” He was subsequently cleared by an NDC disciplinary committee.

Speaker Bagbin noted that while Mr. Jamal acted within the current legal framework, the law would soon change. “You followed what was the law, but we are now going to change that law to make sure the concerns Ghanaians have raised become binding,” the Speaker concluded.