Newly elected NPP National Youth Organiser, Abanga Fusani Yakubu, has defended the party’s ambitious target of securing four million youth votes for Dr Mahamudu Bawumia in the next presidential election.

Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on Tuesday, Mr Abanga admitted that the target would require a major mobilisation effort but insisted it was achievable.

“It is. You see, it requires hard work. It requires sacrifice. It requires getting the right people on the ground to get the job done,” he said.

Mr Abanga said his immediate priority would be to strengthen the party’s grassroots mobilisation and ensure that its structures are active across the country.

He described himself as a commander who must ensure his “troops” are deployed to the ground to deliver the required results.

“I’ll join them as well. I’ll be moving. I promise them I’m not going to be an armchair national youth organiser. I’ll be joining them in their various regions, constituencies very soon,” he said.

According to him, the NPP’s youth mobilisation strategy will also rely heavily on social media to challenge what he described as misinformation against the party.

“So we preach the gospel of Dr Mahamud Bawumia. It’s the only solution for this country,” he said.

Mr Abanga also used the interview to criticise the government over rising fuel prices and its implementation of the 24-hour economy policy.

“Yet today we can’t buy fuel. Prices of fuel have gone up GH¢20 and above,” he said.

He questioned how the government could effectively regulate a 24-hour economy when an office expected to oversee it closes at 5 p.m.

“How can an office that is meant to regulate an office that is supposed to operate 24 hours close at 5 p.m.?” he asked.

He accused the governing NDC of using social media to undermine the achievements of the previous NPP administration.

“They use social media to sway away from the good policies and initiatives ex-President Akufo-Addo and Dr Mahamudu Bawumia did for this country by propagating lies and fake propaganda,” he said.

Mr Abanga also pointed to cocoa prices as another issue the NPP would use in its campaign.

He said his parents are cocoa farmers and questioned the reduction in the producer price of cocoa.

“Dr Mahmoud Baomia was buying cocoa for GH¢3100. Today, cocoa prices have gone down. Now they are buying cocoa for GH¢2000,” he said.

He also criticised the government over its previous promise on cocoa prices.

“They said they were going to buy cocoa GH¢6000,” he said.

Mr Abanga said the NPP must now take its campaign to the grassroots and mobilise young voters ahead of the next election.

“It’s the government that we are feeling today. We are suffering, and being a youth and representing my party as a national youth commander, I must take charge, mobilise the youth, so we can prosecute an effective campaign, so Dr Bawumia wins the 2020 election to save this country,” he said.