A group of youth activists and communicators within the New Patriotic Party (NPP) have pushed back strongly against recent claims by the party’s National Youth Organiser, Salam Mustapha, accusing him of irritating and misleading the rank-and-file of the NPP youth wing with what they describe as exaggerated and false narratives aimed at courting media attention.
In a counter-statement released on Monday, the group described Mr. Mustapha’s January 12, 2026 press release attacking President John Dramani Mahama’s administration as “reckless, intellectually dishonest, and detached from current realities confronting the nation.”
According to the group, the National Youth Organiser’s attempt to label President Mahama’s first year in office as a “betrayal of the youth” amounts to political grandstanding rather than responsible youth leadership.
“Salam Mustapha appears more interested in headlines than in truth. His repeated use of inflammatory language such as ‘scam,’ ‘fraud,’ and ‘deception’ does not reflect the facts on the ground and only succeeds in misleading young party supporters,” the statement said.
The group further advised Mr. Mustapha to redirect his energy toward his core mandate of mobilising, reorganising, and energising the NPP youth base ahead of future elections, rather than issuing what they described as false and sensational statements that do little to help the growth of the party.
“The responsibility of a National Youth Organiser is to unite and mobilise the youth of the party, build grassroots structures, and restore confidence among young voters. Releasing misleading statements for attention will not grow the NPP, nor will it prepare the party for victory,” the statement stressed.
The youth activists noted that while challenges remain, it is disingenuous to dismiss ongoing structural reforms and phased job-creation initiatives being rolled out under the Mahama administration, including groundwork for the 24-hour economy policy, which government officials have consistently explained is a medium- to long-term programme rather than an overnight solution.
They further accused Mr. Mustapha of deliberately ignoring global economic constraints and domestic fiscal limitations inherited by the current government, choosing instead to oversimplify complex policy issues to score political points.
On the issue of youth unemployment, the group argued that attributing every tragic or unfortunate incident to government failure amounts to emotional manipulation.
“The unfortunate El-Wak incident should not be weaponised for cheap politics. Reducing a national tragedy to propaganda insults the memories of the victims and offers no solutions,” the statement added.
The group also challenged claims that over 13,000 young people had lost their jobs due to government actions, demanding that Mr. Mustapha provide verifiable data to support what they described as “figures conjured purely for effect.”
They dismissed allegations surrounding the purported purchase of a presidential jet and the non-recruitment of nurses and teachers as “selective half-truths,” noting that public-sector recruitment processes are ongoing and subject to fiscal discipline and clearance procedures that existed even under previous NPP administrations.
With regard to education and youth policies, the statement said it was misleading to declare the No-Fees-Stress policy a failure barely a year into implementation, stressing that meaningful policy assessment requires time, data, and honesty—not sensational press conferences.
The group warned that the continuous spread of misinformation by party leaders risks demoralising young supporters and undermining the credibility of the NPP as a serious and responsible opposition party.
“Youth leadership must be about strategy, mobilisation, and solutions—not irritation, exaggeration, and constant agitation for relevance,” the statement concluded.
They called on Salam Mustapha to focus on rebuilding party structures, engaging the grassroots, and presenting credible alternatives, rather than what they described as “attention-seeking statements that neither help the youth nor advance the fortunes of the New Patriotic Party.”
