In less than a month, the New Patriotic Party will converge in the Ashanti Region to elect aspirants for its national executive positions. Salam Mustapha, the NPP National Youth Organiser, seeks re-election to continue serving in the position after his current term.
In speaking about his life, Mr Mustapha explained that his political ambitions have so far centred on national party service rather than a parliamentary career. The National Youth Organiser indicated that although he could consider a parliamentary bid in the future, his immediate priority remains completing his work within the youth wing.
The decision, he noted, dates back to his first contest for the National Youth Organiser position, when some party members encouraged him to pursue a parliamentary seat instead. However, he chose to remain within the youth structure, where he had developed his political experience over several years. “Let me serve the party. I mean, I’ve grown in the youth wing for a long time,” he explained.
Consequently, Mr Mustapha has not committed himself to contesting a parliamentary seat in Tamale South, despite acknowledging that the constituency could be won by the right candidate with adequate resources and a sound strategy.
From his perspective, the outcome of recent elections demonstrates that no constituency should automatically be regarded as unwinnable. He argued that effective organisation, the right candidate and sufficient resources could alter the political fortunes of a party in any part of the country.
The National Youth Organiser also dismissed the suggestion that the established political presence of Honourable Haruna Iddrisu in Tamale South should discourage future NPP candidates. He pointed to the constituency’s political history, noting that its electoral dynamics had changed over time.
“If you ask me whether Haruna Iddrisu is beatable, the answer is yes. With the right candidate, resources, and strategy, it is entirely possible. Given the events of 2024, there is no seat in Ghana today that I would consider unwinnable. If you do the right things, you can win.”
Salam Mustapha
Meanwhile, Mr Mustapha’s immediate attention remains fixed on the upcoming internal elections and his bid to retain the national youth leadership position.
Reading, Ideology Shaped Youth Organiser’s Choice Of NPP
Salam Mustapha also attributed his decision to identify with the New Patriotic Party to years of reading, exposure to competing political ideologies and his personal inclination towards liberal economic ideas. The National Youth Organiser explained that his political orientation developed despite growing up in a community where support for the National Democratic Congress remained dominant.
Mr Mustapha described himself as an avid reader whose interest in political thought began at a young age. His early exposure to books on capitalism, communism, socialism, feudalism and other political systems gave him an opportunity to consider different ideological positions before settling on views that aligned more closely with the NPP.
In his view, liberalism and capitalism eventually made greater sense to him because of their emphasis on individual ownership and enterprise. That ideological preference, he indicated, gradually influenced his political outlook.
The 2000 general election campaign further strengthened that connection. Mr Mustapha recalled becoming increasingly attracted to the NPP after following then presidential candidate John Agyekum Kufuor’s campaign messages, political songs and policy proposals.
His family environment also provided additional exposure to the party. NPP materials became readily available around him, while relations with individuals associated with the party helped deepen his understanding of its politics.
Nevertheless, the National Youth Organiser stressed that his decision did not emerge simply from family or community influence. Instead, personal study and an independent approach to political ideas played a significant role in determining where his political allegiance eventually settled.
“I’m quite a non-conformist. When everybody is going to the right, you can bet that I’ll go to the left.”
Salam Mustapha
This independent streak, he suggested, also influenced his willingness to support a party that did not command the dominant political following within his immediate community. His choice of the NPP therefore developed through a combination of intellectual curiosity, ideological conviction and exposure to the party’s campaign messages.
Beyond politics, Mr Mustapha has also built an interest in agriculture, particularly commercial crop farming. He disclosed that he operates a rice farm on the outskirts of Tamale and has considered expanding into animal farming, although he acknowledged the additional difficulties associated with that area of agriculture.
The National Youth Organiser encouraged young people to consider large scale and mechanised farming as a viable economic opportunity. He argued that Ghana could benefit significantly if more young people treated agriculture as a long-term commercial venture rather than viewing it only as subsistence activity.
At the same time, he acknowledged that rice farmers currently face difficulties with pricing and market conditions. He nevertheless explained that farmers could improve their prospects by establishing relationships with reliable off takers and taking advantage of Ghana’s growing domestic processing capacity.
READ ALSO: Greenpeace Warns Governments to Act as Global Warming Set to Overshoot 1.5°C
