Election 2024: Why the Youth must remain vigilant ahead of December 7 polls 

By Charles Neequaye, a journalist

The December 2024 general election is just around the corner, the countdown is on, and barely four months from now, the stage will be set for Ghanaians to exercise their franchise in accordance with the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana to select or choose their preferred candidates to the high office of the Presidency, as well as Parliament. This particular election promises to be fierce, crucial and tension-packed because the Presidential baton is going to be changed to a new and fresh leadership for the country. Whether the NPP, under the flagbearership of the current Vice President Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia or former President John Dramani, flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), or any other potential independent candidate will win this crucial election is left for the electorate to decide with their thumbs, come December 7, 2024.

For the NPP, it is counting on its slogan, “Breaking the Eight. It is possible.” while the NDC christened theirs, “Vote for Change. Building The Ghana We Want.” All the presidential candidates, including Allan John Kwadwo Kyerematen, an independent candidate, are poised and positive about their chances of winning this election. From all intents and purposes, this particular election is seen by some people as a “do and die” affair and for the various political parties, especially the two main parties, the NPP and the NDC, it is the most crucial of all elections, as they intensify their campaigns across the nooks and crannies of the country to convince the electorate for votes.

But one may observe that political rallies are being held in parts of the country with hate speeches and threats of potential violence from contestants of some of the parties. While the campaigns are at their utmost heights, with house-to-house and community-to-community visitations to win this election, the two leading parties are also feverishly launching their manifestos this month, targeting the youth, promising to create jobs and also to solve the hydra-headed unemployment situation, should they get the nod to lead the country, come December 7, 2024.

According to both leaders of the two parties, steps would be taken to create jobs for the teeming unemployed graduates from the various universities and the other tertiary institutions in the country. No wonder much attention has been focused on the youth of this country by the various political leaders because they form the largest segment of the society. These ambitious and outrageous promises from these political leaders and contestants to the youth are what is baffling, extremely petrifying, terrifying, and frightening, especially at this point in time when the country is faced with a lot of economic challenges, which the current administration is battling with and finding difficult to handle. One wonders how they intend to solve these economic hardships and challenges in four years.

Yes, they need our votes and, for that matter, our mandate to govern this country. However, they should let Ghanaians know about the true state of the economy and steps they will take to revamp the ailing economy, instead of flamboyant, ambitious, and mere promises and assurances, which may be difficult to accomplish within a four-year mandate.

It is important to stress that the youth are no more gullible to accept what is thrown or pushed on them by desperate politicians, just because they want to ride on their backs to win and govern this nation. Our youth are now discerning and upright and can now decipher or determine what is good or bad, as well as lies from our politicians. The bad and precarious economic conditions have become an eye-opener for the youth and they will not allow mere political propaganda to affect their conscience. All they need is bare truth from our leaders and nothing more.

The difficult economic problems of this country cannot be solved overnight.That is why it is necessary for Ghanaians, especially the youth, to evaluate and conduct forensic investigations and analysis of statements, utterances, and some of the propaganda from politicians to guide them in their choices. We cannot continue to experiment with this country while millions of Ghanaians continue to suffer. As we journey towards the upcoming election, we expect our politicians, who are desperate to govern this country and, for that matter, the people, to be decorous in their campaign messages and avoid hate, threats, and foul language to scare the very people they are determined to rule, in order to make this country safe and peaceful.

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