Former President John Agyekum Kufuor has delivered a scathing critique of the Akufo-Addo administration, arguing that several controversial policy decisions eroded public trust and ultimately led to the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) crushing defeat in the 2024 elections.
Speaking on The Delay Show, Kufuor pointed to the National Cathedral project, the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme, and the PDS scandal as emblematic of missteps that alienated voters.
On the Cathedral project, he expressed disappointment that state funds were used despite earlier assurances to the contrary.
“If you critically assess the 2016 elections that brought former President Akufo-Addo into office, the campaign relied heavily on the achievements of my administration. But once they assumed power, the situation changed. Many of the major policy decisions they took were difficult to understand. For example, the debt exchange programme, the National Cathedral project which we were told would not rely on state resources but eventually did, and which still remains uncompleted even after demolishing a residential complex for judges,” he said.
Kufuor further noted that scandals such as the botched PDS concession deal compounded the party’s credibility crisis.
“In 2016, we won by a landslide. In 2020, we retained the presidency but with reduced numbers and a hung parliament. Four years later, in 2024, we suffered a massive defeat. This should make it clear that the Ghanaian voter can no longer be taken for granted.”
Despite his criticisms, the former president praised Akufo-Addo’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic. He described his leadership during the crisis as “commendable” given its unprecedented challenges.
Kufuor’s remarks underscore growing internal reflection within the NPP as it grapples with the fallout of its electoral loss and the task of rebuilding public confidence.
Source: PRINCE KWAME KUDOGAH.
