Osumanu Banito Lamptey has pledged to intensify youth empowerment, job creation, and grassroots mobilisation in the Anyaa-Sowutuom Constituency after securing another mandate as the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Youth Organiser in the party’s internal elections.
Lamptey polled 223 votes to defeat his contender, Edem Akakpo, who obtained 44 votes, in the elections held on Saturday, October 24, 2026.
His re-election comes alongside the emergence of two female leaders in the constituency’s youth wing, with Seshime Akoe Djiegbor winning the Deputy Youth Organiser position and Florence Sefakor Fumey securing the Other Youth Representative position.
Djiegbor polled 100 votes to defeat three other contenders, while Fumey obtained 193 votes against Emmanuel Krah Daabo, who received 70 votes.
Speaking in an interview following his victory, Banito said his renewed mandate reflected the confidence young people had in his leadership and his commitment to their welfare and development.
He attributed his electoral success to his close relationship with the youth and efforts to facilitate access to employment and skills-development opportunities since the NDC assumed office in 2024.
He disclosed that he had helped some branch youth organisers secure opportunities through the Youth Employment Agency (YEA) and the National Apprenticeship Programme (NAP), stressing that he had remained accessible to the youth throughout his tenure.
“I have never neglected them. I have always been with them since we came to power, and I was 100 percent sure they would vote massively for me,” he said.
Employment and skills development agenda
Banito said his immediate priority would be to expand opportunities for young people, particularly in employment creation and vocational skills acquisition.
He disclosed that he currently had approximately 300 youth organisers under his leadership and intended to work towards ensuring that more of them acquired employable skills and secured sustainable livelihoods.
“My main aim this time is to make sure that more of the youth get opportunities, especially in the area of job creation. I want most of them to have something doing,” he stated.
He added that he would encourage more young people to participate in the National Apprenticeship Programme to acquire practical skills that could improve their economic independence.
Banito targets historic parliamentary victory in 2028
Beyond youth development, Banito identified winning the Anyaa-Sowutuom parliamentary seat for the NDC in the 2028 general elections as a central objective of his renewed mandate.
He said the constituency had yet to secure the parliamentary seat for the party and that the youth wing was determined to contribute to changing that situation.
According to him, sustained engagement with grassroots supporters, especially young people in informal settlements, would be critical to the party’s mobilisation efforts.
He cited the Ghetto Connect initiative, which he organised after the 2024 general elections, as part of efforts to maintain relationships with residents of informal settlements who participated in the electoral process.
Banito explained that he personally returned to the communities to express appreciation to residents for their support and assure them that their contributions had not been forgotten.
“After the 2024 elections, I went back to the ghettos to thank the people who came out and voted for us massively. I wanted them to know that I had not forgotten about them,” he said.
He indicated that the initiative would remain part of his grassroots engagement strategy as the party prepared for the 2028 elections.
“2028 is a win-win-win or nothing else. We are working towards winning for the Anyaa-Sowutuom Constituency,” he declared.
Two female leaders join youth leadership team
Banito expressed optimism about working with the newly elected Deputy Youth Organiser, Seshime Akoe Djiegbor, and Other Youth Representative, Florence Sefakor Fumey, to advance the constituency’s youth development and mobilisation agenda.
Their election brings two women into important positions within the constituency’s youth structure, with expectations that they will contribute to grassroots engagement, youth representation, and the implementation of programmes targeting young people.
He said he would bring the two women on board to work collectively towards achieving the youth wing’s objectives and supporting the party’s broader electoral preparations.
From branch organiser to constituency youth leadership
Recounting his political journey, Banito said his involvement in party politics began in 2000 when he served as a branch Youth Organiser.
He later became Deputy Constituency Youth Organiser in 2016 before securing election as substantive Constituency Youth Organiser in 2022.
His retention in the October 2026 elections marks another mandate in his leadership of the constituency’s youth wing.
The NDC’s internal elections also produced executives for various constituency positions, including administration, communication, organisation, women’s leadership and the Zongo Caucus.
With the new executives expected to consolidate the party’s grassroots structures, Banito’s renewed leadership places youth mobilisation, employment opportunities, and engagement with underserved communities at the centre of his stated priorities ahead of the 2028 general elections.
Source: Joseph Wemakor
