The Acting Director of Elections and Information Technology of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mahdi Jibril, has said the party is increasingly asserting its identity and reshaping public perception by “telling its own story.”
Speaking on the JoyNews AM Show on Thursday, March 26, Mr Jibril argued that many of the narratives currently emerging about the NDC stem from a renewed effort by the party to define itself, rather than allowing others to do so.
“I think we in the NDC just have to tell our story better. These issues are coming up now because we are beginning to present the real story of our party,” he said.
He suggested that, historically, members of the party had been reluctant to openly identify with it, thereby allowing rival narratives to dominate public discourse.
Mr Jibril pointed to what he described as a recent shift, citing legal professionals who are now openly declaring their affiliation with the party.
“It is only recently that some of our lawyers have come out openly to say they are NDC. People like Tsatsu Tsikata have always been there, but the NPP still claimed we did not have lawyers,” he said.
He blamed the party’s past communication approach for enabling what he characterised as negative portrayals by political opponents, particularly the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
“That is what happens, when you do not tell your own story, others tell it for you, often negatively. But now, we are telling our story ourselves,” he stressed.
Mr Jibril also highlighted what he described as the NDC’s longstanding commitment to youth inclusion, particularly in government appointments.
“Whenever the NDC is in power, we appoint relatively young people as ministers. But we have not done enough to highlight that. The NPP has rather shaped the narrative to suggest otherwise,” he said.
Drawing a contrast with the NPP, he added: “When the NPP is in office, you often see older ministers, people in their 60s, 70s, and even beyond. But with the NDC, you consistently see younger faces in leadership.”
He further argued that young figures within the NDC would not enjoy similar opportunities under the NPP.
“Take people like Sammy Gyamfi and Edudzi Tamakloe; if they were in the NPP, they would not have the same level of opportunity. That is part of the story we have not told well enough that we invest in young people,” he said.
According to Mr Jibril, consistently projecting this narrative would strengthen the party’s appeal among young people.
“If we continue to tell that story clearly, the NDC will become even more attractive to the youth,” he added.
Touching on post-election expectations, he acknowledged growing pressure on the party to deliver, particularly in addressing youth unemployment.
“Expectations are understandably high. People believe in the party and its leadership to create jobs, especially for the youth,” he said.
He conceded that demand for employment opportunities remains high, citing large numbers of applicants for security service recruitment as evidence of broader systemic challenges.
“Whenever recruitment is opened for the army or police, the sheer number of young applicants shows that there is a deeper problem that needs to be addressed,” he noted.
Mr Jibril, however, commended government efforts to expand economic opportunities through policy initiatives.
“That is why initiatives like the 24-hour economy are important — to expand opportunities and allow more businesses to operate. Government alone cannot provide all the jobs; the private sector must also contribute,” he said.
He said that the demands of young people for jobs and opportunities are justified and must be addressed as part of broader economic reforms.
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Source: www.myjoyonline.com