A leading member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Communication Team, Dr. Samuel Akonga, has sounded the alarm over a growing shift of young voters from the ruling party to the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), warning that the trend could cost the NPP dearly in upcoming elections.
Speaking on Breakfast Today on Dreamz FM, Dr. Akonga revealed that a yet-to-be-published internal survey he conducted indicates that the NPP has already lost 30% of its youthful support base to the NDC — a figure he says could rise if urgent steps are not taken.
“We are losing about 30% of the youth to the NDC, based on data I’ve gathered so far, even though it’s not complete across all constituencies,” he disclosed.
Dr. Akonga lamented that despite historically enjoying strong support from young Ghanaians, the NPP has sidelined the demographic in both leadership and decision-making roles.
“Our government has been dominated by elderly individuals whom the youth struggle to identify with. This disconnect is pushing them toward the NDC, which has empowered young people with leadership positions from the grassroots to the national level,” he explained.
He contrasted the NDC’s youthful appointments with what he described as the NPP’s “grey-haired dominance,” stating that young voters are more likely to connect with and be inspired by peers in power.
“When young people see others within their age bracket in leadership, they feel included, understood, and are more likely to follow and implement party policies,” Dr. Akonga added.
Expressing his ambition to lead the party in the future, Dr. Akonga promised to rebrand and reposition the NPP to appeal to the younger generation.
“If we focus only on the elderly vote, we risk losing the elections. The youth are informed, aware, and influential — they are the key to electoral victory,” he emphasized.
His comments come at a time when both major political parties are scrambling to court the youth vote ahead of the 2028 general elections.