The National Youth Wing of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has strongly accused Professor Ransford Gyampo and the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) of using the ongoing strike by the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) to disenfranchise tertiary students in the December general elections.
Salam Mustapha, the ruling party’s National Youth Organizer, in a statement, alleged that the strike is a calculated attempt to disenfranchise Ghanaian students, particularly those registered to vote on campuses across the country.
The NPP Youth Organizer, Salam Mustapha, claimed that Professor Gyampo, along with key figures in the NDC, is strategically pushing for the strike to discourage students from returning to campuses to cast their ballots.
“The strike is not driven by issues of labor rights or the fight against illegal mining (galamsey), as claimed. Instead, it is a politically motivated move designed to prevent students, many of whom support Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, from participating in the elections. If you wondered why UTAG was the only labour union that decided to still go ahead with the strike action.
“The reason is purely and simply political. The NDC and their friends in UTAG, led by Prof. Gyampo, know that the majority of Ghanaian students prefer Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia to John Dramani Mahama. And, that going on strike means that the students, many of whom live far away from campus during vacation, will be dissuaded from making the long distance to return on campus only to vote.”
Salam Mustapha, NPP National Youth Organizer
According to Salam Mustapha, the Trade Union Congress (TUC), representing organized labour in Ghana, recently pulled back from a planned nationwide strike after consultations with the government regarding efforts to address galamsey.
However, he contended, the NDC was disappointed with the TUC’s decision, hoping that a full-scale strike would disrupt public services and sway public sentiment against the NPP.
He further asserted that UTAG’s insistence on proceeding with the strike, even after the TUC’s resolution, is a clear indication of the NDC’s influence within UTAG and is part of a targeted attempt to restrict students’ voting rights.
“By keeping universities closed, the NDC and Prof. Gyampo aim to frustrate students, forcing them to remain off-campus and away from polling centres on December 7. They hope this will prevent thousands of students, who overwhelmingly favor Dr. Bawumia over John Mahama, from casting their votes”.
Salam Mustapha, NPP National Youth Organizer
Call on UTAG Members and Other Stakeholders
The NPP Youth Wing, thus urged UTAG members, as well as student bodies like the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) and the University Students Association of Ghana (USAG), to resist what he describes as manipulation by political interests.
Salam Mustapha called on UTAG’s general membership to hold their leadership accountable and question the motivations behind the strike.
“Prof. Gyampo is using UTAG as a pawn to frustrate the school authorities to recall school hence the strike. This is evil and another sign that the NDC and their friends leading the UTAG strike action simply do not care about the fate of the students.”
Salam Mustapha, NPP National Youth Organizer
The National Youth Organizer of the ruling party also claimed that the NDC’s internal polling data shows that support for the NPP among students is strong.
He pointed out that these results have led the NDC to resort to extreme measures, like orchestrating a strike, to limit the anticipated youth voter turnout on Election Day.
In addition to this accusation, Salam Mustapha pointed to what he called “Prof. Gyampo’s history of exploiting his status as a lecturer for personal gain” and described him as untrustworthy in his role as a student advocate.
The statement also asserted that students are highly motivated to vote in this election, largely due to the perceived successes of policies like Free SHS and job creation efforts.
Salam Mustapha emphasized that students view Dr. Bawumia as a leader with integrity, committed to advancing educational and economic opportunities.
“Students want to vote for a man who has integrity—something that John Mahama could not offer as Vice President or President,” he said.
The statement concluded with a direct plea to university authorities, urging them to make decisions that would ensure students have the opportunity to participate in the December elections.
“Ghanaian students will not forgive us if we deny them their right to vote in this critical election. They want to secure a future with a leader they trust, and that leader is Dr. Bawumia,” Salam Mustapha asserted.
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