The National Democratic Congress's Ashanti Regional office has launched 'Operation Footsoldier', an ambitious membership and voter registration drive targeting 500,000 new members across the region over the next 18 months.
The initiative, unveiled at a rally at the Kumasi Sports Stadium, is part of the ruling party's strategy to consolidate its gains in the Ashanti Region following its surprise performance in the 2024 elections, where it won three parliamentary seats in the region for the first time in over a decade.
Regional Chairman Alhaji Collins Dauda said the party was determined to build a permanent base in the Ashanti Region. "We are not visitors here. We are here to stay, and we are here to serve every Ghanaian regardless of their political affiliation," he said.
The drive will focus on youth and women's mobilisation, with dedicated coordinators appointed for each of the region's 47 constituencies. The party has also announced a scholarship programme for NDC youth members pursuing tertiary education.
The NPP has dismissed the initiative as "a desperate attempt to make inroads in territory that will never belong to the NDC," with the Ashanti Regional Chairman saying the NDC's recent electoral gains were a "statistical anomaly" that would be reversed in 2028.
Political scientists at KNUST have noted that the NDC's growing presence in the Ashanti Region reflects broader shifts in Ghanaian electoral politics, with younger voters increasingly willing to split their votes between parties based on candidate quality rather than party loyalty.
The Electoral Commission has welcomed the voter registration component of the drive, noting that Ashanti Region has one of the lowest voter registration rates among eligible citizens under 30.
