After offering the youth opportunities to serve in government when it won power in the keenly contested 2008 elections, the governing National Democratic Congress is once again parading youthful parliamentary aspirants for the November 2016 general elections.
Results from the November 21 nationwide parliamentary primaries of the ruling party indicate that about 70 percent of NDC activists who emerged victorious are below fifty years, with majority of them in their mid-thirties and early forties.
In constituencies where some astute and veteran legislators were tipped to thrash their young contenders, the “young ones” surprisingly brought a closure to their stay in the legislative house, with a clear message that it was time for the youth to lead the legislative bench of the governing party.
Even though, the NDC presented some youthful candidates for the 2012 elections, with some of them beating their opponents to make it to the law making House, the outcome of last month’s primaries of the party saw a marked improvement over the previous.
Political pundits are predicting that the NDC’s legislative front in the 2017 parliament is most likely to be parked with youthful legislators, principally because; most of the party’s strongholds saw youthful candidates winning their respective parliamentary primaries.
In the Greater Accra region for instance, aside Members of Parliament for Amasaman, Emmanuel NiiOkaiLaryea; Sege, Christian CorleyteyOtuteye; Ledzokuku, Benita SenaOkiteyDuah, and Ngleshie-Amanfrom, Bright Edward KodzoDemordzi, who are all young and have won their primaries, a new breed of youthful aspirants have been added to the stock.
The new “young” aspirants include candidates for Ayawaso North, YussifJajah; KlotteyKorle, DrZenator Rawlings; Ablekuma Central, AlhajiHaliduHaruna; Ashiaman, Ernest Norgbey; Adenta, Mohammed Adamu Ramadan; NingoPrampram, Samuel George Nartey; ShaiOsudoku, Ocloo Williams Desmond; Domeabra-Obom, Sophia Karen Ackuaku; Weija-Gbawe, OboubiaDarkohOpoku; Tema Central, Ebi Bright; Tema West, Lawyer James Enu among others.
In the NDC’s stronghold, Volta region, the party already has young MPs like North Tongu, Samuel OkudzetoAblakwa; Ketu South, FiifiFiaviKwetey; Adaklu, Kwame Governs Agbodza; Akatsi South, Bernard Ahiafor; Nkwanta North, John Oti Bless; Krachi East, Wisdom Gidisu among others.
To add to the number of youthful aspirants from the region regarded as NDC’s World Bank, the party will present, Gabby Alexander Hottordze for the Central Tongu constituency; South Dayi, Rockson Nelson Dafiamekpor; and North Dayi, Jocelyn Tetteh among others.
The Northern region also produced some relatively young aspirants. They included Tamale Central MP, HarunaIddrisu; Tamale South, InusahFuseini; Tamale North; AlhassanSuhuyini; Salaga South, SualihuDandawaaAlhassan; Nanton, Murtala Mohammed Ibrahim; Damango, Mutawakilu Adam and Bole-Bamboi, AlhajiYussifSulemana.
The region has also increased its youth aspirants with the election of deputy Minister of Power, John AbdulaiJinapor as parliamentary candidate for Yapei-Kusawgu; Savelugu, AlhassanIddrisu; Mion, Mohammed Abdul Aziz, and Kumbungu, Ras Mubarak among others.
Other relatively youthful aspirants to contest on the ticket of the NDC from other regions include Gomoa West aspirant, Samuel Kwesi Fletcher; Gomoa East, QueensterPokuaSawyerr; Ajumako-Enya-Essiam; CassileAtoForson; Gomoa Central; Rachel Appoh; Ayensuano, Teddy Nana Yaw Addi; Suame, BrogyaGenfi; Tano North, Dr Louisa Hannah Bisiw; Asawase, Muntaka Mubarak; Abirem, Mavis Frimpong; Juaboso, KwabenaMintahAkandoh; Fanteakwa South, Abigail ElormMensah; Afram Plains North, Betty KrosbyMensah; Bongo, Edward Bawa; BibianiAhwiasoBekwai, Moses Armah among a host of them dotted across the country.
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