The race for the position of National Youth Organiser of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has been hit by an eligibility challenge, with a party member calling for the disqualification of one of the aspirants over an alleged breach of the party’s constitutional age requirement.
Masud Abdella of the Tema East Constituency has petitioned the NPP Elections Committee to investigate the eligibility of Michael Osei Boateng, popularly known as POPE, who has filed to contest the National Youth Organiser position.
In a petition dated August 31, 2026, Mr Abdella alleged that Mr Boateng had already attained the age of 40, which he argues disqualifies him from contesting a position reserved for a member who falls within the party’s constitutional definition of a youth.
According to the petitioner, Mr Boateng submitted his nomination on Friday, August 28, and he is therefore asking the Elections Committee to suspend further processing of the nomination until the eligibility issue is determined.
Mr Abdella cited Article 15(4) of the NPP Constitution, which defines a youth as a party member who has not attained 40 years.
He further argued that the age ceiling remains 40 for the current electoral cycle, pointing to the NPP’s National Delegates Conference held on July 19, 2025, where delegates rejected a proposal to reduce the youth age limit from 40 to 35.
“It is accordingly posited that age requirement is the fulcrum for determining eligibility for the office of National Youth Organiser and that an aspirant must not have attained the age of forty (40) years as at the time nominations are filed for the National Executive Elections,” the petition stated.
To support his claim, Mr Abdella attached copies of documents he identified as Mr Boateng’s Ghana Card, passport and SSNIT records.
He said the documents indicate Mr Boateng’s date of birth as October 8, 1984, which, if verified, would mean that the aspirant has already crossed the constitutional age threshold.
Mr Abdella is asking the Elections Committee to independently authenticate the documents with the relevant institutions and require Mr Boateng to submit his Ghana Card, passport, SSNIT biodata and other primary identification or birth records for verification.
He has also requested that both parties be given a fair hearing before the committee reaches a decision.
The petitioner wants Mr Boateng disqualified if the investigation establishes that he had attained the age of 40 at the relevant time or that documents submitted in support of his nomination had been altered or falsified.
Mr Abdella said his petition was not intended to undermine the electoral process but to protect the credibility and integrity of the NPP’s internal elections.
He expressed his readiness to cooperate with any investigation initiated by the Elections Committee.
The petition has also been copied to the NPP General Secretary and the National Council.
The eligibility dispute comes as the NPP prepares for its National Executive Elections scheduled for October 3, 2026, with the National Youth Organiser position expected to be closely watched by party members.
