The Electoral Commission (EC) is set to declare Professor Alidu Seidu of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) as the new Member of Parliament (MP) for the Tamale Central constituency after the deadline for filing nominations for the by-election elapsed without any challengers.
The extended nomination period, which closed at 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 21, did not attract any additional candidates from political parties or independent aspirants.
Confirming the development to 3News.com, the Northern Regional Director of the EC, Lucas Yiryil, said no individual picked up or filed nomination forms during the ten-day window after the reopening of nominations.
“The Electoral Commission will now issue a formal communiqué outlining the process to declare Professor Seidu as the duly elected Member of Parliament for Tamale Central. The planned by-election will therefore not take place,” Mr. Yiryil explained, describing the situation as rare in Ghana’s electoral history.
Background
The Tamale Central by-election was triggered by the death of the sitting MP, Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, on August 6, 2025. Following his passing, the EC declared the seat vacant on August 19, in line with constitutional requirements, and announced a by-election to fill the vacancy.
Initially, three candidates filed to contest the seat, but two later withdrew, leaving only Professor Seidu in the race. In an effort to allow for wider participation, the EC reopened nominations. However, no new contenders emerged, leaving the NDC candidate as the sole nominee.
With this development, Professor Alidu Seidu will be officially declared MP for Tamale Central without a vote, marking one of the few uncontested parliamentary ascensions in the country’s Fourth Republic.
