New Patriotic Party presidential aspirant, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwun, has revealed that his humble upbringing and personal experiences are the driving force behind his bid for the presidency, emphasising his desire to motivate young Ghanaians from deprived communities.

Speaking in an interview on JoyNews' The Pulse on Wednesday, March 18, he recounted growing up as the son of a cocoa farmer in a deprived area, saying his story reflects the possibilities available to anyone willing to dream big.

“When I stand before Ghanaians saying I want to be president, something tells me that in this country, everything is possible,” he said.

The former Education Minister explained that his journey aims to inspire young people from disadvantaged communities to believe in themselves and aspire to leadership positions. During visits to rural areas, including Agotime Ziope in the Volta Region, he shared his life story, moving some community members to tears.

“That to me was a very good experience—it is about inspiring the youth and showing them what is possible,” he noted.

Dr Adutwum also highlighted his commitment to translating promises into tangible actions. During his campaign in the Volta region, he pledged to sponsor a student from Agotime Ziope to pursue engineering.

Although he did not win to represent the party in the 2028 general elections, he noted that he had kept his promise . According to him, he has facilitated the student's admission to the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT), where she is now studying chemical engineering with all expenses—including tuition, accommodation, and feeding—fully covered.

“If I had not entered the race, she might not have had this opportunity. Seven years after graduating high school in 2019, the student had been unable to continue her education...Seeing her on the path to becoming a chemical engineer in four years makes all the effort worthwhile,” he said.

Dr Adutwum emphasised that his actions are guided by faith and a desire to positively impact lives. “If my story has made someone believe in themselves, or made a grandmother believe that her grandchildren can succeed, it was worth getting into the race,” he said.

Although he did not win the election, Dr Adutwum reaffirmed his determination to continue contributing to national development and improving lives, not only in his constituency but across Ghana.

In the NPP presidential primary held on January 31, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia emerged as the winner, securing 110,643 votes, which represents 56.48% of the total votes cast. He was followed by Kennedy Agyapong with 46,554 votes (23.76%) and Dr. Bryan Acheampong with 36,303 votes (18.53%). The other candidates, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum and Kwabena Agyei Agyepong, received 1,999 votes (1.02%) and 402 votes (0.21%) respectively.