Bawumia: 2028 election will be youth-driven
Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the New Patriotic Party’s flag bearer, has framed Ghana’s next general election as one that will be heavily shaped by young voters, urging the party’s student wing to prepare for greater responsibility in both campaigning and governance.
Speaking at a leadership training programme organised for members of the Tertiary Students Confederacy (TESCON) in Accra, the former Vice President said the NPP is deliberately building a pipeline of young leaders who can take up strategic positions within the party and the country in the coming years.
The three-day programme, held under the 2026 Leadership Pipeline Initiative, was presented as part of a broader effort to strengthen youth participation ahead of the 2028 polls.
According to him, political success in Ghana is increasingly tied to the influence of young people, making it essential for parties to invest early in training and mobilisation.
“The vote is largely youth-dominated. 2028, as it was in 2024, will be a youth-dominated election,” he said, adding that the NPP intends to intensify its engagement with students across tertiary institutions nationwide.
Bawumia emphasised that leadership preparation cannot be left until election periods, arguing that the next generation of political actors must be developed through structured mentorship and exposure.
“This training programme is for your benefit because we want the youth to take key leadership positions,” he told the students. “We cannot get you to take key leadership positions if we do not prepare you for the uptake of these leadership positions.”
He revealed that the party plans to expand its presence on university and college campuses in the run-up to the 2028 elections, with more frequent interactions between party leadership and students.
“You will see me on a lot of campuses this year, next year and 2028. We will take the debate and the ideas to the country and make our case,” he said.
The NPP flag bearer expressed confidence in the party’s prospects at the next polls but stressed that victory would depend on sustained effort rather than assumption.
“We are not going to sit down and say it will happen, but we are going to work. That is why we are beginning the work early,” he said.
The event was marked by enthusiastic responses from TESCON members, who chanted slogans expressing support for the party’s message of youth empowerment and political continuity.
Bawumia, however, cautioned against complacency among supporters, insisting that political success requires discipline, unity and consistent engagement with voters.
He also encouraged the students to use the training programme as a foundation for developing leadership skills that would prepare them for future roles in public service and governance.
According to him, the NPP’s long-term strategy is rooted in building a generation of politically aware and capable young leaders who can carry the party’s vision forward beyond the 2028 elections.
Source: myjoyonline.com
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