Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed

Muhammed Murtala began his basic education at Tamale Presby Basic School (Kulikuli School) before enrolling at Ghana Senior High School in Tamale.^[3] He was a trained teacher who held a teacher's certificate A from Tamale College of Education (TACE), formerly Tamale training College (TATCO).^[4] He also held a master's degree in Development Planning and International Relations and Diplomacy from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and the University of Ghana respectively.^[4]

In 2009, after a change of political power from the NPP to NDC, Muhammed was appointed the deputy national coordinator of the National Youth Employment Program (NYEP) by John Evans Atta Mills which was later rebranded into Ghana Youth Employment Development Agency, (GYEDA).^[5][6]

In 2006, following the decision by Wayo Seini, MP for Tamale Central constituency to defect to the NPP, a by-election was declared to fill the vacancy. Muhammed stood for the NDC primaries but lost to Inusah Fuseini who eventually won the by-election to replace Wayo Seini. Muhammed contested his party's primaries in 2008 and lost again to Fuseini who went on to retain his position in Parliament. Muhammed went on to contest for the primaries in the Nanton Constituency and this time, he won to represent the NDC as its Parliamentary candidate for the 2012 election.^[7]

Muhammed served as a member of parliament for the Nanton Constituency in the sixth Parliament of the Fourth Republic of Ghana.^[8][9] In December 2012, he won the parliamentary election to represent the Nanton constituency by garnering 10,369 votes representing 52.66% of the total votes cast against his closest contender who was the incumbent member of parliament, Abdul-Kareem Iddrisu who got 8,667 votes representing 44.02%.^[10]

In 2016, after serving one term in parliament, he lost his bid to be re-elected as member of parliament to Mohammed Hardi Tuferu. Tuferu garnered 11,346 votes representing 51.84% against Muhammed's 10,451 votes representing 47.75% of the votes cast.^[11][12] Ahead of the elections, Muhammed was heard publicly accusing an NDC MP in the northern region of plotting to unseat him.^[9]

After the member of parliament for Tamale Central Inusah Fuseini decided not to seek re-election in the 2020 elections, Muhammed contested his Party's parliamentary primaries.^[13][14] In August 2019, he won the primaries after getting 737 votes against his two contenders Alhassan Adam and Abdul Hanan Gundado who got 181 votes and 319 votes respectively.^[15][16] He went on to win the main election, securing his return to parliament as MP for Tamale Central by obtaining 41,156 votes while the New Patriotic Party's (NPP) Ibrahim Anyars got 33,699 votes.^[17] In Parliament, Muhammed was a member of the Public Accounts Committee and Trade and Industry committees.^[18]

In December 2024, he won the parliamentary election on the ticket of the NDC to represent Tamale Central by securing 52,263 votes while his opponent had 16,647 votes. He retained the seat as MP for Tamale Central.^[19][20]