Three members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) have called for a review of age restrictions imposed on aspirants seeking regional youth leadership positions in the party.
In a petition submitted to the party leadership, the members described the provision as discriminatory and inconsistent with Ghana’s Constitution.
The petition challenged Provision 7.0(iv) of the NDC’s 2026 election guidelines, which states that persons contesting for Regional Youth Organiser and Deputy Regional Youth Organiser positions must not be more than 40 years old at the time of filing nominations.
The petitioners argued that similar restrictions were not applied to youth organiser positions at branch, constituency and national levels.
“In the case of the Regional Youth Organiser and Deputy Regional Youth Organisers, aspirants shall not be more than 40 years of age at the time of filing his/her nomination,” the petition quoted before describing the provision as discriminatory.
The petitioners further argued that the silence of the NDC constitution on age limits for National Youth Organiser positions meant the guideline could not be interpreted “in pari materia.”
Citing Article 17 of the 1992 Constitution and the case of “Nartey v Gati,” the petitioners maintained that the guideline amounted to unlawful discrimination.
They consequently urged the party leadership to reconsider the provision before the commencement of the internal elections.