Story: Rahamatu-Lahi Zakaria || Sanatu Zambang Newsroom
The parliamentary elections are fast changing in Ghana. Now, young people are taking the chance to contest the older folks to give voice to the youth.
One person who took the bold decision to contest in Kunbungu Parliamentary seat for NPP is Abdul Rauf. Though he did not emerge as the winner, he says he is not relenting on that quest. He has an agenda and it is the Youth movement agenda.
According to Abdul Rauf, his intention for contesting that seat was ”to inspire my colleagues that, we are capable of anything. This is our generation and you cannot change the system if you are not part of the system”.
”That is why we came out with the movement, the youth agenda, it is an agenda that we are establishing to inspire the youth to make them feel part of the system to be given the opportunity to add their voice to the national quota and that is what we are trying to do”
Abdul Rauf
When it comes to national elections, a huge budget is needed to win especially when you are dealing with the delegates system and that is what Abdul Rauf faced. But he downplays the fact that resources were the issue of why he lost the contest. He says external factors played a key role in his loss.
The young politician declared his intention to run the Kumbungu seat in Accra before coming home to tell his people. He also narrates how people persuaded him to step down while others were given him money.
In all, he rejected them and stood for his beliefs to inspire the next generation of young people to participate in active politics. Even at the vetting stage, He tells the story of how he was asked to step down.
Rauf attributes his loss to the fact that his main challenger was the DCE of the area hence had everything at his disposal to do a campaign. Also, his competitor was more experienced and well known in the area compared to him.
He takes is lost as a learning process and also stepping stone to do greater works than he has planned to do. The loss he says is not going to stop him from contesting rather, it has launched his career in the political scene and he does not see himself back out.
