Mr. Tanko Rashid Computer, the Deputy National Elections Director for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has offered a unique glimpse into his political journey, revealing that his earliest ambition was not in IT or electoral politics but to join the military, a dream fuelled by his youthful admiration for former President Jerry John Rawlings.

In a candid interview on JoyNews' Personality Profile, Mr. Tanko, who spent his formative years in the rural community of Bimbila, explained how the political energy of the 1970s and 1980s deeply influenced his worldview.

Mr. Tanko detailed how the revolutionary zeal of the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) era, which was established by Flt. Lt. Rawlings in 1981, captivated him as a young man. This early political exposure channeled his energies toward a military career.

"Actually, initially I wanted to join the military because of Rawlings," Mr. Tanko admitted. He was an active participant in a youth wing affiliated with the regime, underscoring the depth of his early commitment to the PNDC’s principles of discipline and social change.

He specifically referenced the youth movement that served as a grassroots arm of the government: "We used to call it the Democratic Youth League of Ghana—it was one of the offshoots of the PNDC. So I was so passionate about Rawlings-ism and then his move."

Despite his strong ideological alignment and passion for the movement, Mr. Tanko was ultimately unable to pursue his military ambition, citing a physical hurdle common in recruitment processes at the time.

"I was too smallish at that time, so it’s like I wasn’t qualified," he confessed, indicating that his youthful stature prevented him from meeting the physical requirements for entry into the armed forces.

Thwarted in his military goal, Mr. Tanko explained that this early setback, combined with personal tragedy, sharpened his focus on education as his new path to survival and social contribution.

"I lost my parents at a very early age," he revealed, emphasizing the critical need for a stable future. This difficult start solidified his pivot away from the barracks and into the classroom: "So I decided that the only way I could survive the trend of life was to make sure that I go through education."

This shift ultimately led him through the formal education system—from Bimbila and Winsy schools in the Northern Region—and eventually into a career as an IT lecturer before transitioning into the sophisticated electoral and technological work he now undertakes for the NDC, the successor party to the PNDC.

His story, therefore, is one of ambition redirected by circumstance, demonstrating how the revolutionary spirit of the Rawlings era continues to shape the careers of key political figures today.