The Flag Bearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has urged members of the Tertiary Students Confederacy (TESCON) to prepare themselves for key leadership roles ahead of the 2028 general election.

He said the party was deliberately investing in the training and development of young people because the youth remained central to the country’s political future and electoral success.

Addressing TESCON members at the opening of a three-day leadership training programme in Accra last Thursday under the 2026 Leadership Pipeline Initiative, Dr. Bawumia said the NPP believed strongly in youth empowerment and succession planning.

“This training programme is for your benefit because we want the youth to take key leadership positions,” he said.

“We cannot get you to take key leadership positions if we do not prepare you for the uptake of these leadership positions,” he added.

Dr. Bawumia said the 2028 election, like the 2024 polls, would largely be influenced by young voters, making it necessary for the party to intensify its engagement with students and young people across the country.

“The vote is largely youth-dominated. 2028, as it was in 2024, will be a youth-dominated election,” he stated.

He disclosed that TESCON activities and campus engagements would be expanded significantly in the lead-up to the next elections.

“We are going to really make a lot more effort with TESCON this time around than we did in 2024,” he said.

According to him, the party would actively take its ideas and policies to tertiary institutions nationwide.

“You will see me on a lot of campuses this year, next year and 2028. We will take the debate and the ideas to the country and make our case,” he added.

Amid chants of “TESCON! It is possible!” from the students, Dr. Bawumia expressed confidence in the NPP’s chances in the 2028 elections but stressed the need for hard work and early preparation.

"2028, Insha Allah, it is going to happen in 2028. It is possible,” he declared.

He, however, cautioned party supporters against complacency, saying victory would require commitment and sustained effort.

“We are not going to sit down and say it will happen, but we are going to work.

That is why we are beginning the work early,” he said.

Dr. Bawumia also urged TESCON members to remain united and resilient in the face of political challenges.

“We are saying that we will not be intimidated. You can arrest all of us; we will come back and make our case to the people of Ghana,” he stated.

He encouraged the students to take advantage of the training programme and equip themselves with leadership skills that would prepare them for future responsibilities in government and national development.