By Dennis Peprah
Sunyani, March 21, GNA – The New Patriotic Party (NPP) is to undertake a nationwide youth engagement project to attract and register more of the youth for Election 2024, Mr Kwame Baffoe, the Bono Regional Chairman of the Party has hinted.
Dubbed “first time voters’ engagement,” Mr Baffoe explained the project would commence after the Electoral Commission (EC) had opened a fresh voter registration exercise ahead of the 2024 general election.
The Regional Chairman said the project was in line with strategies introduced by the NPP in the region to entice more of the youth to join to enhance its election fortunes in the Election 2024 and retain the NPP in political power.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Sunyani, Mr Baffoe, popularly known as “Chairman Abronye” in the political space said a youth-driven Party was required for effective electioneering for the NPP to break the eight.
He said the youth would determine the winner of the Election 2024 because they formed the chunk of the voting population, hence the need to make the NPP more attractive to entice them to join and enhance its political fortunes in the next general election.
Mr Baffoe said the 2020 population census indicate that the youth constituted about 59.5 per cent of the Ghanaian population, saying the EC’s 2020 voter population also pegged the youth at 55.1 per cent.
“From all indications, it is clear that the Ghanaian youth especially, the yet-to-be first-time voters have higher influence and remain a deciding factor in our next general election, hence the Party in the region is re-strategizing to bring them on board for effective electioneering that will retain us in political power,” he stated.
“We are going to mobilise and give the youth an orientation on the philosophies, ideologies, tenets, values, administrative structures, achievements, youth manifesto policies and social interventions of our great Party,” he said.
“When young people are disengaged from political processes, a significant portion of the population would be cut off in decision-making and policy formulation and implementation,” he added.
Mr Baffoe said it was essential the youth were inspired to play active politics so that their voices would be heard in decision-making, saying inclusive political participation was not only a fundamental political and democratic right but also remained crucial in building a stable and peaceful society.
“As a great party we must inspire and encourage the youth to engage in active politics in order to develop and implement policies and programmes that would respond to their specific needs,” he stated.
Mr Baffoe said he was confident that with a large number of youths, the NPP would be able to break the eight, saying with the Party’s solid and proven track records and achievements, the youth would be happy to join the Party to push an overwhelming victory in the Election 2024.
“The NPP has an edge over the NDC because the Party can be credited for the introduction and strengthening of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Ghana School Feeding Programme, almighty Free Senior High School and the free Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programme which have virtually benefited every household in the country,” he stated.
GNA