Alan's Aduru Woso slogan: Repulsive to the youth

In political campaigns, slogans are used to reflect what political parties or candidates stand for. By virtue of this, the electorates define political parties and their candidates with their slogans.

This explains why slogans greatly contribute to the victories or other wise of parties in elections. In Ghana for instance, historians are of the view that the "Self Government Now" of the Convention People's Party (CPP) was more appealing to the voters than the United Gold Coast Convention's (UGCC) "Self Government within the shortest possible time."

Dr Kwame Nrumah's instructive demand for independence through his clear slogan made the people to see him as a leader who was ready for what he was fighting for. On the other hand, the UGCC and their leaders were considered as unserious people who were not prepared for independence, hence their vague slogan.

Having therefore, subjected Mr Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen's "Aduru woso" slogan to intellectual scrutiny, I find it very repulsive and unappealing to the youth who usually identify themselves with either the National Democratic Congress (NDC) or the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

The Aduru woso gospel paints the NPP as a party that places more premium on old folks than the talented and competent young ones who are now entering politics. What is more dangerous is the fact that the leading members of the Alan Kyerematen's campaign team have literarily passed comments to suggest that the competent Dr Mahamudu Bawumia is too new to the party to become its leader.

There is no way, today's Ghanaian youth will allow themselves to be used by political parties to promote the political interest of a certain class against their own class. They will therefore shun the NPP if it elects Mr Kyerematen as its flagbearer.

Also, the propaganda machinery of the NDC will definitely whip up the sentiments of the ambitious youth against the NPP if Mr Kyerematen wins the flagbearer race. It will be easy for the youth to fall for their propaganda because nobody would want to be part of a group that promotes a certain class.

It is also important to note that Dr Bawumia is more appealing to the youth than Mr Kyerematen. Therefore, choosing the latter over the former is also a rejection of the Ghanaian youth who see themselves more in Dr Bawumia than Mr Kyerematen.

Conclusively, the NPP will be signing their own electoral death warrant, if they endorse Mr Alan Kyerematen's Aduru woso slogan because that will in turn mean rejection of the youth who would want to join political parties that will give them hope of rising to the pinnacle.

The author is an essayist and a social commentator.

By Bala Ali