A Comprehensive Guide To Choosing One's Political Mentor; A Case Study For Young Politicians

First and foremost, the above subject matter has been on my mind for far too long as a young politician in the Northern Region.

In fact, as young politicians, one of the most difficult decisions we face is choosing our political guides and mentors.

Observing critically, many young, smart, and energetic youth with an interest in engaging in politics are facing this situation.

In politics, support is not just about loyalty. It is about your future, your values, your growth, and the future of the party you love.

So how do you choose wisely your political guide or mentor?

1. SUPPORT CHARACTER, NOT JUST POSITION

A title can be won today and lost tomorrow. But character stays. So support a politician who speaks to everyone, not just to their "camp or cabal," and admits mistakes and learns from them.

As a young politician, you are watching and learning. The politician you follow today will shape the kind of leader you become tomorrow. So choose someone whose private life matches their public speeches.

2. SUPPORT SOMEONE WHO INVESTS IN THE YOUTH

Politics is a relay, not a 100m race, and the leaders we need today are those preparing the next generation to take over.

Truly, in choosing a political leader who invests in the youth, the following questions are necessary to guide our choices:

1. Does the leader mentor young people or only use them during elections?
2. Do they create opportunities, training, jobs, and roles for people in the Party?
3. (Do they listen to young ideas or shut them down when they speak?

3. SUPPORT SOMEONE WITH GRASSROOTS CONNECTION

A leader with strong grassroots connection is worth embracing in the political landscape. To state without any ambiguity, if a political leader cannot connect with the base, he or she cannot lead a political Party to victory.

In your choices as a young politician, a political figure with grassroots connection and support is appropriate for you to support and to spend your precious time, energy, knowledge, and skills on moving forward.

4. SUPPORT SOMEONE WITH VISION FOR THE PARTY, NOT JUST THEMSELVES

Political figures will come and go, but the Party remains forever for others to come and serve in their lifetime.

Therefore, be careful of politicians whose vision ends at their own ambition, and is not aligned with the growth and future of the Party.

As a young politician, your career will be tied to the fortunes of the Party. Support people who are building the party, not just building themselves for their personal parochial interest.

5. SUPPORT SOMEONE WHO TEACHES PATIENCE AND DISCIPLINE

A politician who teaches you patience and discipline as key to effective leadership and mentorship in the political landscape deserves your support. Indeed, politics will break you if you are in a hurry. You will face betrayal, defeat, and delays.

In view of the above, the right politician to support is the one who tells you: “Patience moves mountains.” The one who teaches you to work hard even when no one is watching. The one who shows you how to lose with dignity and win with humility.

In summary, as a young politician, you are not just choosing a boss. You are choosing a school, a mentor, and a path.

Carefully support a politician who will make you a better person in 4 years than you are today. A politician who will be a guide and a mentor to shape your hidden potential.

Thank you.
Shalom!
By: Columnist-Abdulai Abdul-Razak
[email protected]

Tamale South Constituency