Basiera Saankara and Okai Mintah remain among the aspirants in the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) National Youth Organiser race following the party’s vetting exercise on November 11, 2026, while two other contenders have been disqualified namely Steven Nhyira Odarteifio and Najeeb Yahaya.
Saankara, a former Wa West Constituency Youth Organiser and Upper West Regional Youth Organiser, is campaigning on a vision to build a self-sustaining youth wing capable of generating its own resources and developing future party leaders.
Among his flagship proposals is the Green Harvest Initiative, which seeks to encourage youth wings across the country to engage in agricultural enterprises as a means of generating independent funds.
He has also proposed the John Mahama Young Leadership Fellowship, an initiative aimed at mentoring and preparing emerging party leaders for future leadership responsibilities.
Okai Mintah, who was listed among the four initial aspirants to file nominations, also remains in the contest. However, his final vetting outcome was sucessful. He was the chairman of the youth working committee.
Hi journey in politics has always been in service to the NDC.
Whether leading from the front or working behind the scenes, he has remained committed to the collective goals.
It is this record of service, coupled with an unrelenting determination to make the NDC the first and ultimate choice for young people across Ghana, that inspires him to put himelf forward to lead the Green Army.
Many of you have asked, “Why now?” My answer is simple: IT IS TIME FOR ACTION!
We must organize better, engage more deeply, and build a stronger, more vibrant youth movement that speaks to the hopes and dreams of the next generation.
I do not present myself as someone with all the answers.
Rather, I come as a servant-leader who has walked this journey with you, listened to your concerns, shared in your struggles, and celebrated our victories together.
Two Aspirants Disqualified
The party’s vetting committee has disqualified Steven Nhyira Odarteifio and Najeeb Yahaya from the National Youth Organiser race.
Odarteifio had campaigned on translating political power into economic opportunities for young Ghanaians, with proposals centred on job creation, support for business start-ups and skills development.
His campaign also highlighted a donation of 1,000 bags of fertiliser to young farmers earlier in November as part of efforts to support youth participation in agriculture.
Yahaya, on the other hand, entered the race pledging to protect and restore what he described as the NDC’s distinct social democratic and egalitarian identity.
The disqualification of the two aspirants followed the party’s vetting exercise on November 11, 2026, according to reports.
