The outgoing National Youth Organizer for the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC),George Opare Addo, has warned power brokers against influencing who becomes the next national youth organizer for the political party.

He says they should allow the youth of the political party to decide who they want to lead them going into the 2028 elections.

In a social media post expressing this worry, Pablo as he is affectionately called, said it is worrying that some power brokers go as far as sponsoring their own candidates, indicating that it is mostly not borne out of love for the party but for their own parochial interest.

His post expressed worry and warned of a problem if the youth wing elections are decided by power brokers and not the will of the youth of the political party.

“We have been there before

There is something deeply troubling about the way some people approach the election of a National Youth Organizer of our party.

Whenever it is time to elect a new National Youth Organizer, individuals who have very little understanding of the workings of the Youth Wing, and in some cases very little interest in its growth and development, suddenly become interested in deciding who should occupy the position. From the comfort of their offices, they begin to hold meetings, make calculations, mobilise resources and attempt to determine who the next leader of the Youth Wing should be.

Some go as far as financing their preferred candidates. Unfortunately, this is not always borne out of love for the party or a genuine desire to see the Youth Wing succeed. In some instances, it is about securing influence and control over whoever eventually emerges.

We have been here before, and we should know better.

The office of the National Youth Organizer is not an appendage of any individual or group within the party. It is an important leadership position that requires courage, independence of thought, conviction and the ability to stand up for the interests of young people, even when doing so is uncomfortable.

A National Youth Organizer must be independent-minded. He or she must have the courage to disagree when necessary, defend the interests of the youth and engage the party’s leadership from a position of principle, not subservience.

The Youth Wing must not produce a leader whose first obligation is to those who financed his or her ambition. The obligation must be to the party, its ideals and, above all, the young people whose interests the office exists to serve”.